The Single One
by Sidney Ella Ford
Summary: Mary Alice. That's me. Mary, Mary, quite contrary. NOT. I'm Alice. It's SO cliche to fall love with my best friend. But it happened. The worst part is that Emmett's probably in love with me. Or not. Why me? / AH, AU, non-cannon, all that jazz. R&R!
1. Prologue

**Hi hi hi!!! Sidney here! (Yes, I've changed my penname again.) Well, I bring you another idea from the terrifying place I call my mind! This is an non-cannon story, just because I find these pairings intruiging. All-human, alternate universe, blah, blah blah, blah blah. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the _Twilight Saga_. I do, however, own the DVD, a few posters, some posters of the Twilight Guys, and about fifty Taylor Lautner posters. **

**Dedication: This is one-hundred percent dedicated to my great beta, **Lucas McDrake**, helped me with my awful spelling, and contributed a lot to the first draft, that was about four-hundred-fiftey words. Seriously, like, half the stuff was either written by him or me _after_ he gave his ideas and thoughts. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!**

"Mary Alice!"

Mary Alice. That's me. Mary, Mary, quite contrary. _Not_. I'm Alice. Mary Alice is my 'pay attention' name.

"Alice, up," was Edward's way of waking me. Stupid twin know-it-all.

"_Moron_." Wait, was that in my head, or out loud?

"Excuse me?" Carlisle, my father, asked, using his no nonsense tone.

Out loud. Shoot. I rubbed my eyes and sighed as a cover-up. The beauty of being Daddy's only girl. I've got him wrapped around my tiny finger, not that I'd _ever_ admit that out loud.

"Are we there yet?" I'd fallen asleep on the twenty minute ride to school. Again.

"Yes, dear," my father stated gently, smiling at me knowingly from the driver's seat next to me. I groaned, unbuckledmy seatbelt, got my balance on the sidewalk, and pulled my fifty pound backpack out of the famous Carlisle Cullen Mercedes.

Edward smirked as my half-asleep body staggered under the weight of the bag. "Does this mean you'll stay awake during study hall?" he teased.

"Only if your eyes stay in your head during lunch," I snapped. He glared, then turned faintly pink.

Glancing backward, I spotted the Hale's F150 toward the curb, just as Edward muttered, "Shut up, Alice..."

Turning back, I saw Daddy pullingaway, waving at us and smiling. Returning the favor for a brief second, I then glanced at lot, and jumed when I saw the Police cruiser entering the drop off zone.

A second later, the town's Police Chief, Charlie Swan's, cruiser pulled up to the curb, and two of our best friends hopped out. My heart got the fluttery feeling it always does when I see _him_.

…Not Charlie, perv! His son. Bella and Emmett Swan are another set of twins in the tiny town of Forks.

Emmett... Even at the sound of his name, I can't help but think how gorgeous it is, let alone the person behind the name... Deep brown eyes... Curly brown hair... Dimples to kill...

Cue romantic sigh.

"Up you go, Al," Emmett said jovially, taking my bag and swinging me onto his back, as usual.

"Thanks, Em," I sighed, nuzzling my face into his neck, blocking out what little light was out in the process. It was a seeminly friendly gesture, but honestly I like the way he smells. Always clean with a hint of Axe, but I can never decide which particular scent.

"Rose!" Edward said, brightening as the Hale twins obviously jumped from their Dad's truck.

Jasper and Rosalie, Bella and Emmett, Edward and I…We made up the three sets of twins in Forks-a rarity that we guessed had only occurred in this one town. Besides in metropolises with over one thousand people in it, of course. _They_ don't count. At least by mine and Emmet's rules.

I peeked up to see what was happening.

Jasper and Bella were leaning against the brick outside of the office where our parents dropped us. They looked as if the were engaged in a hushed conversation, but then Bella turned red at something he said. Yup, just flirting. Jasper kissed her reddening cheek, and she bit her lip so hard it looked painful from ten feet away.

I moved my gaze to see Edward and Rosalie in fierce lip-lock. As much as I wanted to look away, because that panorama had disgusted the hell out of me, I studied them and their movement. Emmet cast a sideways glance at me, that being the only glance he could cast, and I quickly covered it up as a look of disgust. An easy transition, as I was already feeling nauseous at the sight.

Why is everything so complicated for the single one? Jasper and Bella are perfect, so shy and emotion driven. Edward and Rosalie are, well, stubborn and asinine, in the most loving way possible. Emmett is single (thank goodness for me!), but he's really confident, and I'm terrified of losing him, so I can't ever tell him how I feel.

I sighed as I continued along this train of thought. The worst part is that he's probably in love with me, too, and I'm an idiot for never telling him. Or maybe I'm just clinically insane, and hope too high for my heart…

I just have one question:

_Why me_?

**A/N: Reveiw please? I promise longer chapters. This is just a prologue, anyway. More insanity where this came from if you review!!! Also, feel free to PM any ideas you may think I need, or PM anyways! I'm always in the mood to chat!!!!!**

**~Sidney**


	2. Chapter One Close Call

**Yay! More updates!** **Thanks again to Lucas McDrake, who is too modest for his own good.**

**Disclaimer: Violets are blue. Roses are red. You think I own this? Go check your head.**

**Yeah, I'm a poet.**

Lunch. This was the only event of the day when we're all together at the same time.

"Emmett, are you eating**,** or painting your face?" Bella laughed, reaching across the table to wipe his forehead, where he'd managed to getbuffalo sauce. "Stop babying** me, _little sister_," **he taunted, throwing a french fry**,** and hitting her in the face.

"That was my eye, jerk!" she hissed, rubbing her eye that now contained salt.

I suppressed a giggle and took revenge for her, stealing the only edible thing off his plate, a single sugar cookie. "Here, Rose," I said, breaking it in half and **tossing a piece to** her.**  
**

"Thanks, Al!" she chirped, taking a dainty nibble.

I then started to proceed with rubbing my victory in his face. I immediately stopped, however, when I saw Emmett's 'run' look. Yeah. _The _look. The "if you do that for another second, you won't survive to see the next" look.

Iinstantly hopped up, grabbing my tray and grinning widely. "Hate to eat and run, but... Evil teddy bears will chase me!"

Dropping my food in the trash as I ran, I escaped the cafeteria, and headed for the front lawn. Not-so-much surprising me as terrifying me to death, I felt a pair of huge arms catch my waist.

"You are one tricky little pixie," Emmett breathed in my ear, lifting me and spinning us around.

Only I could get away with teddy bear, and only he could get away with pixie.

I shivered as his hot breath tickled my ear. I started to attempt plots to get him to do it again... _Stop brain! You aren't allowed to think that!_ But I loved it.

"PDA!" came a not-as-deep voice as Emmett's. Thinking it was a teacher, Emmett dropped me on the ground, and I pretended to have a hurt foot, clutching it.

But it wasn't.

"Oops, my bad," said the less deep, but just as annoying voice of Mike Newton. "I forgot, you're the single ones."He laughed, like he'd told a great joke, and muttered something that sounded like 'prude'**.**

Emmett growled, clenching his fists**,** "If you don't get away from us in the next five seconds, you won't have a skull to hold that retarded brain of yours. Or..." Emmett's face twisted in malice. "I'll let it slip to the police chief that you tried to pay me to get nude pictures of Bella..."

Newton's eyes widenedas he childishly gawked, his thin mouth making an 'O'. "I did not!"

"Charlie doesn't know that," Emmett said surely, grinning smugly.

Newton glared and quickly took his leave, taking Emmett seriously.

As soon as he was out of ear-shot, Emmett knelt down. "You okay?" he asked, serious now.

"Yeah, but you shouldn't threaten people! They take that stuff seriously!" I scolded, screaming inside over his face being mere inches from mine.

"Everyone but Charlie," Emmett laughed. "I tried that one last week and ended up getting a lecture on harrassing 'the good Newton boy'."

My jaw dropped in shock, and I punched his arm. "Jerk!"

He laughed. "Aw, Pixie! You know you love me!"

_Damn_. He had me there.

"So? Tough love, Teddy Bear," I declared boldly. I hoped to the heavens that only I could hear my fluttering heart.

He bent so his forehead was touching mine. "Yeah. Tough love." His whisper was so heavy, it could have knocked me over had it been solid.

The edges of my vision started fading, and I neary collapsed onto the soft grass."Tough love," I repeated, my voice shooting up a few octaves.

"But only for me," he whispered, his eyes burning with something I couldn't easily identify.

"As long as we share it," Ibreathed. _What's wrong with you, Alice! _Maybe he wants it too! _No, Idiot!_

He smiled slightly, then lightly, almost like a soap bubble popping on skin, touched his lips to my nose.

I held my breath as his lips hovered over mine for an endless second, then-

"Well, are you two gonna kiss or what?"

**A/N: Review me!!! Also, I'm available as a beta!!!**

**~Sidney**


	3. Too Much Melodrama

**Hey! I'm back! You're gonna get a few good updates this week, hopefully! Ya'll know the thank yous by now, and I think I'm embarrassing my beta, so... Read and Review. Oh, and I don't own it. Yet... Mwahahaha!!!!!**

**Previously in _The Single One_...**

"Well, are you two gonna kiss or what?"

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"_Crap_! Rosalie!" Emmett half-shouted, falling back the other way on the grass.

Rosalie laughed, her pale blue eyes sparkling maliciously. "Are you two dating now?"

"N-no," I stuttered, at the same time Emmett said, "God, no!"

That stung...

"So your lips were just warming each others up, then?" she asked sarcastically.

Emmett, his over-confident self taking over the already uncomfortable situation, replied, equally sarcastically, "Yeah, Rose. You can go next if you like."

Three waves of emotion passed over me. I turned red with embarrassment, my stomach clenched with jealousy, and my eyes got wet at the pain in my chest that was rejection.

"I have to go," I said, holding my breath and picking myself up. "Bathroom, hair, makeup..." _Was it really necessary to list _all_ those reasons? Gosh, maybe they're suspicious, now..._

I rapidly escaped to the girls' room on the north side of the gym, _before _Rose could manage another question. As soon as I locked the door to my newly claimed stall, I leaned against it, breathing heavily.

_Maybe he was just embarrassed. _I thought hopefully.

_Maybe you're an idiot._ a snide voice in my head laughed,

I shook it off, not wanting the inner voice to be right, and exited the stall. After rinsing out my eyes, I looked into the mirror, my green eyes welling up again as I was struck by a new thought.

_What if he was trying to get Rosalie? What if he thinks you're just some play-thing?_

Thinking back, I remembered the sparkle in her eyes. _What if she wanted to ge him?_

Splashing more water into my face, I internally scolded myself. _He's fair game! You haven't told him you like him! Don't you _dare _be upset, you melodramatic wuss!_

Now that _that _was out of my system, I had two more hours to bear.

Joy.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"_Alice_!" hissed Emmett, from his place two inches from me, the clueless geometry teacher having placed together, not really realizing the hell she was asking for.

"Emmett, I'm right here! Talk quieter!" I fussed under my breath, elbowing him.

"Here," he said, sliding a note onto my half of the desk. How very seventh-grade.

_Alice,  
I'm SO sorry I tried to kiss you. Not that I wouldn't want to, but- never mind. I was just so mad at Newton, and you were right there, and I didn't think. Please forgive me, pixie princess!  
Your teddy bear,  
Emmett_

Part of me wanted to cry again, part of me wanted to kiss him right there in geometry class, and part of me was thinking _Pixie princess? That's new._

Shut up brain!!!

Without thinking, I scrawled _Don't be sorry _on the bottom of the page with my pen. Biting my lip and blushing, I handed him the paper, then looked away. If I knew Emmett, he'd understand. Or not. _Why so uncertain, all of a sudden, _the snide voice from before commented. _Ish da baby scawed?_

_Again, shut up!_ I yelled internally, my facing twisting with irritation before I could compose myself. Hopefully, Emmett didn't see that... Heh...

Picking up my pencil, I threw myself into my work.

_If a teenage girl named Alice is having trouble keeping her thoughts in check, what percentage is about her best friend Emmett?_

_Trick question! It's one hundred percent! Twenty-five percent is thinking about how gorgeous he is, twenty-five percent is thinking about how he calls her the cutest nicknames, and fifty percent is lusting over him in various ways! Good lesson kids!_

I seriously considered banging my head on the table. Then I got to work again, finishing all classwork and copying homework, just in time for dismissal. Chancing a glance at Emmett as I scopped up my books and dumped them in my bag, I saw he had a triumphant grin.

Triumphant for what, I had no idea.

Making my way out to the front lawn, my hand was caught by the larger hand of Jasper.

"Hey, Jazz," I said, looping my arm into his, a habit we'd begun at a young age (aka, in third grade when we learned cooties weren't real).

"Hey, Al," he said casually. "Rosalie wanted to ask if you were okay. She thinks she hurt your feelings. Did she?"

"No," I answered, somewhat truthfully, but hoping he wouldn't press on. He had a talent for noticing even the most subtle dodges of the truth, like an aura reader.

"But your feelings were still hurt." Of course he would. He was always like that, and that wouldn't stop today.

"Yes," I huffed, turning red for the umpteenth time that day.

"By who?" he pressed predictably, holding his reputation for most annoying, sensitive sweetheart. Gotta love him.

"No one. Jazz, I just don't wanna talk about it."

He accepted this, and changed the subject.

"So, I heard ya'll almost kissed, you and Em."

I turned red (umpteenth and one) and snarled, "Rosalie!!!"

**A/N: Reviews, reviews, reviews! The first review gets a sneak peak of the next chapter!!!**

**Till later,**

**Sidney**


	4. Family Confident

**Yay! New update!!! I said you'd get a good few! A warning, most of this was written at about one in the morning on one of my nocturnal kicks. **

**Reviews! **

**Oh, and I don't own _Twilight _yet. But I will... Mwahahahaha!!!!! (Just kidding...)**

**Previously in _The Single One_...**

"So, I heard ya'll almost kissed, you and Em."

I turned red (umpteenth and one) and snarled, "Rosalie!!!"

**Now, back to the story...**

Thursday nights are always the hardest. It's the day before Friday, so you have all the homework you procrastinated on, not to mention being anxious over the last day of the week. Just my luck, that this awkward day is a Thursday.

By about seven pm, I'd done all of my homework, texted Bella for a while, and gotten into an old rerun of _The Andy Griffith Show_. The unmistakable aroma of Esme Cullen's semi-homemade spaghetti and chicken-tomato sauce wafted through Cullen manor.

"I'm home!" Daddy called, walking through the front door.

I hopped up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hey, Dad," Edward called from the piano, where he'd been playing softly in the background. Mom and Daddy never made us take lessons for anything we didn't want to, like some more wealthy families, so the piano was mostly his, me being only be to play, at best, old hymns that Edward showed me how to pick out with one hand.

"Edward, Alice, dinner," Mom said, walking in. She playfully threw the dish towel she was holding at me, with I caught and threw back. "Go wash your hands."

I let Daddy go and raced Edward to the downstairs bathroom to wash our hands.

"Ha!" I shouted in victory, putting the tap on full force and pumping about ten gallons of soap into my hand. "I win."

"Yeah, right," Edward scoffed, reaching his arms around my middle to take some of the soap off my hands and rinsed his over mine.

"Cheater!" I accused, then turned to dry my hands on his shirt.

He glared at me and huffed, "I hate you."

My brain went into hyper speed, thinking of ways I could torment him for his lack of origonality. Then it popped into my head.

"Love you, too!" I chirped, jumping to plant a kiss between his eyebrows. Then I ran for it.

So it wasn't all that original. It still pissed him off, and it was funny to me.

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Except for a bit of light-hearted scolding from the parents, dinner was blessedly uneventful. The others had obviously 'forgotten' to tell Edward about the, er, _incident_, and instead conversation was irected one Daddy's favorite patient. Mr. Danny Wilder was a particularly foul mouthed old man with a perpetual craving for fig newtons, and an undying faith that inspired everyone. He's the most loved person in the hospital, despite his profound language.

Soon, I found myself in bed, hair damp, pajamas cool, and eyes weighing down. Edward passed my room in his sleeping ensemble of boxers and a large T-shirt, similar to my own of flannel pants and my large T-shirt.

"Edward," I called softly.

"Yes?" he asked, peeking his head into my room.

"Talk to me, so I can go to sleep," I said, patting to empty space on my bed. Edward's place, we called it, having spent many nights talking ourselves to sleep, for any given reason. He stayed in my room more often, as his room was too exposed to the night for my taste, what with his enormous windows.

He walked in and didn't hesitate to get under the covers, facing me expectantly. I sighed and put my head up to his, our natural position since birth (and _no_pervy comment. Yeah, I know how you think...). My mind felt peaceful immediately.

"Were you disappointed today, when Emmett didn't kiss you?" he asked quietly, his hardening protectively.

"Who told you?" I squeaked, not ready for that bullet. That one definitely woke me up.

"Bella," he sighed. He must have been tired, because hid words were crowded and jumbled. "Emmett was spazzing in study hall and told her, then she had literature with me and Jasper, and told us, but Rosalie had told him about catching you, then she was guilty for hurting you."

"She didn't hurt me."

"I know. _Emmett _didthough."

"Yes." No point in arguing.

"But he was sorry. He looked like he was gonna cry in study hall." Then he looked thoughtful for a few moments. "Do you like him?"

My brother, my confident, my secret language. Could I lie? No chance in hell. "Yes. A lot. Why didn't you say anything at dinner?"

"Oh, okay." I didn't have to ask and he didn't have to say it. He wouldnt' tell. To prove this, he skipped to my next question. "Mom and Dad don't have to know everything."

I sighed, my body relaxing and ready for sleep.

"G'night, Edward." I yawned and stretched out, turning my head to a more comfortable position on my pillow.

"Good night, Alice." Edward, using as little movement as was possible, slid from under the covers, readjusting them so no part of me was exposed. A little countdown started in my head, knowing I would be asleep within seconds.

"Love you brother."

Three...

"Love you sister."

Two...

I could have sworn I felt something touch my forehead, just before he walked to the door.

One...

Then I was out.

**A/N: Woo!!! Review please, and first review gets a preview of the next chapter!!!**

**~Sidney**


	5. Party in La Push

**Yay! Second or third day in a row! Honestly, I forgot! Okay, _huge _thanks to **Lucas McDrake**, my beta. He wrote the ENTIRE part of Emmett's POV, since I am a female heterosexual(straight, kiddos), and I have no idea in the world how guys' mind's work, or else I MIGHT have a boyfriend, but that's another story. You know the drill, I don't own, read, review, blah, blah blah, blah blah...**

**Previously in _The Single One..._**

I could have sworn I felt something touch my forehead, just before he walked to the door.

One...

Then I was out.

**Now back to the story...**

"Alice..."

A far off echo broke through the air. I ignored it, running still faster. _I have to return the chicken suit!_

I had to return Rosalie's chicken suit, but I was only wearing it and a bikini, because Emmett caught me skinny dipping and stole my clothes, leaving what he thought was a sexy outfit. Now Rosalie needed her suit back to seduce Edward.

"Alice it's Friday!"

What the heck? Edward's here? Rosalie's going to have a hard time... Oh, crap.

Sitting up, I was back in bed, in pajamas, my sheets tangled around me from 'running'. Edward was bouncing on his knees. Dear, lord, if I kept having dreams like this, I could write a book, like that lady and the vampires.

"Guess what!" he said excitedly, showing me his phone.

"If you show me I can't guess, Edward." I'm not a happy camper in the mornings, whereas Edward is hyper-ish.

Well, hyper for _him_...

"Just read it!" he demanded, showing me a text message.

**Party 2night! 1st beach! Bring Every1!  
-Jacob the Black**

"Jacob got a new signature," I stated sarcastically.

"Alice!" Edward whined.

"I read it. I know. Can I dress now?"

He grumbled something about me being a joykill, then left me to my closet exploration.

_What does Emmett like? _

Shut. Up. Brain.

Then I spotted it. Hanging neatly on a wire hanger, crushed between a trench coat and a church dress, was a red blouse. It had a deep color, with a touch of gray, giving the impression of shadow, long sleeves and a V-neck, just deep enough to show off a little, sleeves that were long and loose, but tugged on the neckline to show off a bit of shoulder, and a hem that fluttered around the hip area, giving the impression of a mini-dress. _Perfect! _Throw in dark-wash jeans and black Mary-Janes, and I was dressed to win. _Sexy and fierce._

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At school, the girls (Rose and Bella, you perv!) took notice of my outfit, quickly.

"Dressed to kill, eh, Al?" Rose said from her perch on a picnic table, waggling her eyebrows as I knelt to wipe a bit of dirt off of my shoes.

"Hot date?" Bella teased, looking up from her current book of choice, _Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, _which I knew she'd read at least six times. "Or has a certain Swan fellow gotten you all dolled up?"

"Yes, no, and maybe," I stated, abruptly ending the conversation as to let them wallow in the mystery that was mine and Emmett's relationship, standing and leaning on the table.

The guys, who had gotten into a paper football game before they could evaluate my outfit choice (minur Edward, who looked disapproving), tossed the folded paper over to us by mistake, and Emmett came to retreive it.

Then he saw me. His eyes, widened, then narrowed, then he got the feircest look in his eyes, all in a few seconds, making me feel self concious. I blushed and crossed my arms over my stomach, feeling over exposed, like I'd come to school naked. I felt him continue his observation of me, and I felt really insecure.

**Emmett POV**

_Is Alice watching...?_

Shut. Up. Brain.

Promptly, so that Edward and Jasper wouldn't get any ideas that my thoughts had gone awry, I grunted, "Hut!" Then, I threw it way over their heads, missing my original target by miles.

We all stood and watched as the it soared. It just happened to land by the girls.

Freak. Alice...

"I'll get it," I offered mindlessly before Jasper or Edward could, and jogged over to retrieve it.

Okay...Why did I do this, again?

Shaking my head imperceptibly, I picked up the paper football, and glanced at the subject of my thoughts.

Whoa.

I couldn't stop myself from looking her up and down for a few seconds. Her red dress was far from what she normally wore. Why was she dressed so...? Freak, she's going to kill me someday with those looks.

Wait...will someone else notice this? If she can create roadkill out of _me _with that choice of wardrobe on, what will she do to other men lesser than I? The possibilities were endless...I refrained from looking around, searching for guys to make note of and assassinate in their sleep for even sending a sly glance in her direction.

Noticing her rosy blush, I heard Edward yell, "Oh, yeah! Party at La Push tonight!"

I glanced back at Jasper and Edward, who were running towards us. Right as I thought of the implications of Alice's dress choice, and a party put together, Alice promptly started to laugh darkly, making me suddenly think of dark motives.

"What's so funny about a party in La Push?" Jasper asked.

Then, I thought aloud, mostly to myself. "The fact that a group of guys, half as many girls, and a bottle can create perfect chaos." I immediately stopped there.

Shut. Up. Brain.

How many times have I had to tell myself this, of late?

**Alice POV**

"Oh, yeah!" Edward said suddenly. "Party in La Push, tonight."

I started laughing darkly, and I couldn't stop myself, like someone else was controlling me.

"What's so funny about a party in La Push?" Jasper asked, looking fearful, most likely for my sanity.

Then, somehow, magically, Emmett came to my rescue.

"The fact that a group of guys, half as many girls, and a bottle can create perfect chaos.

_My hero..._

Wait a minute.

Spin-the-Bottle.

La Push style.

Lord save us all.

**A/N: Mwahahahaha!!! You'll see. The answer is you'll see.**

**~Sidney**


	6. Spin the Bottle La Push Style

**Yay! back again. Computer trouble, don't get me started. Thanks reviewers, beta, yada yada yada... Don't own. Yeah, yeah, yeah...**

**_Previously in _The Single One_..._**

Then, somehow, magically, Emmett came to my rescue.

"The fact that a group of guys, half as many girls, and a bottle can create perfect chaos.

_My hero..._

Wait a minute.

Spin-the-Bottle.

La Push style.

Lord save us all.

**_Now back to the story..._**

So I've never been kissed, even the times we've played the game. Is that so awful for a fourteen-year-old? _Yes..._

"These are the rules: you have to kiss whoever your spin lands on. If you refuse, you have to choose truth or dare from that person. No limits, as long as it's within reason. Understood?" Sam Uley, the oldest at sixteen, said. At this, Sam threw a glance at Emmett. It _might_ have been because he's the master of all dares. Or not...

There was a murmered 'yes' around the circle, and one 'We know, _Dad_' from Seth Clearwater. The tiki torches we set up flickered invitingly, as a chilly gust of October air blew in fomr the ocean.

"Okay... Leah! You first, " he said, smiling at his girlfriend while sitting behind her.

"Of course he picks _her_," Emmett muttered in my ear, making us both chuckle.

Leah rolled her eyes and made a certain hand gesture in our direction. Feisty for only fifteen.

"No thanks, sweetie, save it for Sam," I called, making us laugh harder, and even Leah smirked a little.

She grinned and took the old (and empty) bear bottle we always used. Adjusting the plank we used as a steadier, she spun with ease, the bottle rotating rapidly. Then it landed on Kim, her friend. Both girls shuddered. This is why we added truth or-

"Dare!" Leah half yelled.

Kim smiled widel at her friend, then said, "Kiss Seth's foot. The bottom, and no air kiss."

Leah rolled her eyes again and crawled to her twelve year old brother. She grabbed his ankle, but before she could lower her ehad, he kicked her in the mouth. Lightly, but it still bugged her. When she went back to her place, she wiped her mouth with the hem of her shirt, most likely giving Sam a glimpse of he bra, then sat between his legs.

Kim, looking peeved that her dare hadn't lived up to repuation, spun, and leanded on Jared, a relatively shy fifteen year old. He crawled to her, then kissed her, making both of them blush. When he spun, he landed on Bella, quickly snapping "Truth!"

Bad mistake, buddy-boy.

"Would you lie to kiss Kim again?" she asked sweetly, but with an evil look on her face. Trust Bella to dig it in.

"Um.. Well... Maybe-I mean- Yes..." he babbled, earning catcalls from the thirteen year olds Paul adn Quil, and a bluch from Kim.

Bella smiled, obviously pleased with herself, and spun landing on Jacob Black, our thirteen year old friend who was right next to her. They grinned and laughed, then she pecked him lightly, nothing to agitate Jasper. When Jacob spun, he landed on Rosalie, who also gave him a freindly peck, the wrinkled her nose playfully. Girls can't resist Jake! The other nine guys looked _very _dumbfounded.

Rosalie spun and landed on Embry Call, another thirteen year old. She rolled her eyes at his fearful expression, the said "Dare."

He grinned wickedly. I dare you to french a shoe." Always the quiet ones.

The following event is to bizarre and potentially scarring to describe, but there were some pretty uncomfortable guys after that. How they find making out with inanimate objects hot, I'll never understand. Now we were getting into our normal routine.

Embryspun the bottle extremely fast. It rotated once...twice...thrice...As it started slowing down, you could tell that everyone was trying to predict who it would land on. Going extremely slow, now, it rolled past Jacob...Bella...Jasper...

Everyone gasped as it landed on none other than Emmett, who I was sitting right next to. And no, it's not because I have an apparent crush on him...I believe...

"Dare!" the kid practically screamed.

_He asked for it_, everyone seemed to think at once, giggles and chuckles erupting from everyone despite trying to keep them in.

Emmett started laughing wildly. Emmett is why we're always fearful to play. "Strip to your underwear and run laps around the circle until you finish singing 'Just Dance'."

So Emmett is very absurd, and embarrassing. It would have already been funny if-

"Dude! You wear tidy-whities?"

Jacob didn't yell _that _first. By the time it was over, everyone was rolling around laughing, and Emmett and myself had tears pouring down our faces.

I was trying to cover my eyes to hide the tears that were pouring down my face as I laughed my heart out, but I guessed that it would look like I was _really_ crying because it made everyone laugh even harder.

Once everyone had calmed down enough to concentrate once more, Emmett spun it as hard as was possible. No one would have been able to guess how many spins commensed before it even became visible once more. Quickly wiping away the rest of my tears, I watched as it started to slow down, wondering who would be lucky enough to get _his _spin.

_Shut. Up. Brain._

The mouth passed everyone... Once... Twice... It slowed down and stopped.

Right in front of-

"Alice!" Edward choked.

Me.

The circle was silent. When my eyes locked with Emmet's, everthing froze.

Slowly, he bent his head to whisper in my ear. "Is this alright?"

I swear that his hot breath nearly made my heart break my ribs. "Yes..."

His lips breifly touched my earlobe. He pulled back and studied my face for a moment.

Then he crashed his lips to mine.

**A/N: OMC. You have to review. Like, seriously. Or I won't update. Seriously.**

**~Sidneu**


	7. Summary of a Friendship

**So, I know this was a long wait, but I actually have a good excuse. I was sick for a week, and I've had a good few tests and all. Also, I only have one beta, and I intend to keep it that way, even if it takes him time to work. Summer's over, and most everyone is busy. I don't own this, but I'm a fan. Also, SOOOOOOOOOOO much thanks to my beta, who added so much to this. I swear, it was a little bad at first, and he added a LOT to it. It's the same as I had it at first, with better dialogue and fluffier fluffiness, with an edge. Reviews are loves and encouraged, and I suggest you review, because the more reviews, the more motivated I am to update!!!**

**Now, read read read!!!**

The crashing ay have been my side effects to the new sensation, like the butterflies, fireworks, and those oh-so-sweet angel voices. However, his lips were surprisingly gentle, moving slowly on my not-so-active lips. So far, besides all the turmoil within, my only reaction was that my body froze, stunned beyond belief. When I plucked up enough courage to kiss back, suddenly, every sensation was magnified.

Lights popped in my vision, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the show against the blackness of the back of my eyelids. The shock evaporated in a single milli-second, to be replaced by overwhelming desire to be closer to the one I call my best friend. My hands searched desperately for an anchor, something to keep me from flying away, then found his dark curls. Emmett crushed his body to mine, holding me firmly by the waist. He ran one hand up to my neck, securing me to him, his lips pressing harder in sudden desperation, becoming firmer as our Earth shaking kiss reached it's climax. Our lips slowed, pressing together a few more times as we were coming down form the Everest worthy high.

Let me tell you, seeing it may be gross, but actually living the experience is other wordly.

When our lips separated for air, our foreheads tightly pressed together, everyone was 'aw'ing, catcalling, or wolf-whistling, save for a few... I panted as I found Emmett's eyes again. His eyes surely matched mine- pupils dialated and eyes full of an indecribable emotion.

Disentangling myself in a sudden movemeny, I spun the bottle, my instincts proving true as to who it would land on.

Edward.

"Dare," I whispered breathlessly, staring at my shell-shocked twin.

He looked oddly decided and firm thorugh his shock. Decided about what, I wasn't sure.

"I dare you to take Emmett and get out of here until I call you to go home.

I silently thanked him with my eyes, then got up and ran for it, Emmett on my heels.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When I could no longer see anyone from our group, I collapsed in the sand, heaving. Emmett collapsed next to me, then rolled to face me.

"Teddy bear."

"Pixie princess."

We both spoke together, then chuckled. "Sorry." Together again.

"For what?" I chuckled, breathless, quickly as to not speak together again.

"Losing control. You?" he panted.

"Same... But I liked it." My lips twitched a bit, urging me to smile, which I gave in to.

"Me, too..." I'm sure he had a grin as well, from the sound of his voice.

We laid silence. The moon never felt so interesting. The stars never so calming. For once, my mind wasn't screaming a thousand different demands, and I could appreciate the moment with my best friend, and could-be lover.

"C'mere," Emmett said softly, reaching one arm for me.

I timidly took it and ended up pressed to his side. I looked up at him, need taking over me.

"Emmett, I-"

He cut me off, sitting up and pulling me into his lap, placing one hand on my waist and the other on the side of my neck. Suddenl a pang of fear hit me, and I was crying. I pulled away and got off of his lap, sitting with my face in my knees and my back to him. Only I would cry right now. Mary Alice _freaking _Cullen. Everything was silent for a few moments, minus my ragged breathing. Then, a large, warm hand, was on my shoulder.

"Alice... Please..." he begged. "What's wrong?"

I took a moment, gulping, sputtering, trying to make words. Then I said, rather childishly, I might add, "I don't wanna say it."

"Say what?" he begged again, confused now. "Alice, we need to talk about this. About _us_."

It got to me that her was actually being mature for once, and I eased a little, but I was still leaking salt water, breathing hard. "It's ridiculous, really. Just my stupid brain-and I was scared-and you were just..."

"Alice, you're confusing me. A lot. _Explain_," he demanded, actually sounding annoyed.. And he _never_ had mood swings.

"If I say what I mean, you'll get mad at me for..." I couldn't finish that particular sentence. That sentence meant no going back.

"For what?" he said, softer toned, stroking my shoulder with his thumb.

"Ruining our friendship."

"What will?" he demanded, voice raising yet again.

I turned and glared at him, tears still leaking, the traitors. "If I tell you how I feel about you!"

He looked shocked for a moment. Then he said softly, "And what is that?"

I just stared at him for a moment. "I'm scared to tell you..."

He took my face in his hands gently, wiping a few stray tears away. "Nothing, and I repeat, _nothing, _will ever ruin our friendship. We love each other too much for that, even... Even if one of us loves the other in a different way."

He knew. He had to know. I pulled back and turned to face away once again, hypervenhilating. "Yeah, if one of us loved the other in a different way..."

I sat stock-still, awaiting his reply. It never came, though. Instead, my phoe dinged. I pulled it out of my pocket automatically, finding a new text messege had arrives.

**I like you. Do you like me?  
Yes or No  
NVMIT**

I caughtiously raised my eyes and turned my head to stare over my shoulder.

Emmett grinned proudly. It was smart, original, and right to the point. It was a summary of our friendship in a single action, and I had to fight all of the hormones raging in my bady to keep from attacking him there.

I turned around, eyes wide, heart fluttering. I merely stared.

He leaned into me, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine as he asked me the simple question. "Yes or no?"

I threw my arms around his neck and pushed him down in the sand as I attacked his face with kisses in various locations. Another summary of our friendship: indescribable. Words weren't neccesary, thoguh Emmet said a few more.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said lowly, before rolling so he was hovinring abouve me, his weight balanced so as not to crush my delicate frame.

In a half secong, we were in another feirce lip-lock, even wilder than the previous one, most likely due to the recent confessions made. I didn't care. I got my prince, even though I couldn't summon enough focus to think of a happily ever after.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After what felt like hours, my phone broke into a complicated piano solo, signaling Edward's call. Pushing Emmett so he rolled over on the sand, instead of his previous postition hovering over my body (regretfully, I point out), I dug my phone from where it landed in the sand and answered.

"Yes, dear brother of mine?" I sighed into the mouthpeice, still on my high.

"Mom and Dad'll be here in five. Make yourself decent. And did you get the clean sheets out of the wash?" he said, all in one breath.

"Clean sheets? No? Huh?" High Alice plus unknown responsibilities equals very very confused Alice.

"You do remember everyone's crashing at our house tonight? Our turn on rotation... The sleepover... Everyone, including Emmett, is spending the night at our house? Ring a bell?"

I muttered something not understandable to the human ear and hung up. My mnd was misbehaving, especially for only being in a relationship for and hour. I had to block the images my mind formed.

There was no way I knew how to survive this night.

_Damn._

**A/N: Isn't fluff wonderful? A lot of this was, again, written in my nocturnal state. There's also a lot more to come. Remember the part where she doesn't imagine her happily ever after? HINT HINT!!! We have a way to go, and I hope you'll stick around for it! I don't normally do this, but I thinki this chapter deserves, say, seven reviews? Ir three weeks, at the most, as I've decided it's my new limit when I have the next chapter written, which I do. Now clicky clicky the shiny button!!!**

**~Sidney**


	8. First Night

**OMC it's been ages! I'm sorry, but I got sich (again) and my beta's been busy. And I've been busy too... Hmmm... High school really sucks, sometimes. Ya'll oughtta know I don't own this, and ya'll know who the thanks goes to every update, so put it down??? **

After a rushed explanation to Emmett, and I quick dusting off of the sand we'd recently aquired, we were running down the beach like bats out of hell. I had nearly slapped him for tackling me a moment after I hung up on Edward (he thought it'd be funny to pick up more sand), but _no way_ was I ruining my first chance. No, I wouldn't risk my newfound relationship. I let the scene play out in my mind as we ran...

After my rushed explanation and my first dusting off, Emmett stared at me. I admit, I liked having the attention, but the _way _he was staring made me suspicious. So I followed my first instinct and stared right back.

They say to follow your first instinct, but look at it this way: You see a guy(or girl, whatever your preference) walking by your house, and your first instinct is to jump through your second story window, potentially harming yourself, to say 'hi' to a person who may be in a stable relationship or go the other way. Or both, if you're a _really_ sorry loser. Then you see the door that leads fifteen steps to the front door. Fast. Easy. Casual. Perfect.

For me, staring back was jumping through the window.

Emmett roared playfully and tackled me to the sand, where he attacked my lips again, not that I was complaining. Really, how dense are you?

So, when he finally let our lips take a break for a second, I tried to gasp, "We need to h-"

He resumed, again...

Another break. It took me a few seconds to recall my purpose, and regain my breath. "Seriously, we need to hur-"

His lips silence mine once more. Serioudly, did he ever run out of breath?

I managed to persuade him to roll over, but found that my attempt to somehow disentangle myself from him was hopeless; he had me in his vicegrip. Being that he's over 99.9% muscle... _My _muscle, I couldn't help but think.

Finally, he realized that my face was turning a blue-like color, and snapped out of his hormone driven attack. "Oh!" he gasped, letting go of me, resulting in my sliding off him and onto the gritty sand that already covered both of us. "You okay?"

After recovering my lungs, I breathed, "Great, but, as I was saying..."

"You were saying something?"

I mock-glared at his smirk, and stated, "We need to hurry."

"Why?"

He had to ask. I rolled my eyes as I stated the obvious. "Parents...?"

His face twisted in mock-horror.

"Race you there!" I shreiked, charging across the sand.

"Hey!" he yelled after me. "That's not fair!"

"In my book, it is," I ruggedly gasped.

I didn't notice how fast he had caught up to me. I giggle-screamed as he poked me in the side, cringing in ticklishness as he dragged me to the ground, tickling mercilessly along the way.

"E-E-Emmett! Le-et me-he-he up-p-p!" I laughed, squirming under his vice grip.

"Say it!" he growled in my ear, earning fresh peals of laughter.

"Say-y-y _what_?"

"_It_!"

"_It_? Emmett, are you ill-l-l?!"

He stopped and smiled. "Ready to go?"

I tried to glare at him as I dusted off sand, then glared at him more as he dusted himself. It's really hard to glare when, just a few milleseconds before, you were laughing your head off. Then, of course, he kissed my cheek, reminding me that I didn't really care, anyway. Besides that, if we hurried..."Well?"

"What?"

My poor boyfriend (had to stop myself from screaming at the thought) could be so dim.

"We gotta go, teddy bear!"

"Oh, yeah!"

Instantaneously, we resumed our sprint, as if an avalanche were on our heels. An avalanche of... Never mind...

I let my mind wonder as we ran. Reveling at the ease and simplicity of being with Emmett. I never beleived in soulmates before, but I had to let the word slip into my mind. _But we're only fourteen_. But we've been best friends forever. _So just go with the flow._

_Finally_, good job brain!!!

"Why are Emmett and Alice running down the beach?"

Spoke to soon...

Mom was giving hugs to the La Push crew, and Daddy was talking to the general group. _Well, it was a good two hours..._ I had to agree with my brain again. My parents, as lovely as they may be, weren't _that _leniant. Not sneak-down-the-beach-to-do-who-knows-what leniant. At least as far as I know...

My brain started to panic for a fluttering second; what was my excuse? _Um... Me and Emmett were only kissing, I swear! I mean, like I'd go past first on the beach. _Oh, yeah. That's blow over _real_ well...

But then a miracle happened.

"They were racing. We made them because they were getting too hyper," Edward said casualy. "Just blowing off steam."

I could have kissed him! If it wouldn't be a dead give-away... So I took the childish approach of improv.

"I win! I win!" I sang, skipping circles around the rest of the group, who were (thankfully) acting along.

"Okay," Mom laughed, catching me in a hug. "You're getting giddy. Time to go home."

So tonight really _is_ my night.

The guys rode with Daddy (insert pout here), while the girls went with Mom. In true Esme fashion, two guest rooms were set up with pajamas, mani-pedi stuff for the girls, video games for the guys, and the beads were all fixed(not that we'd actually use them) with the king-sized one for the girl, and some air mattresses for the guys, who find it repulsive to sleep within ten feet of each other on any surface.

The rules were clarified (co-ed activities in living room only, no prank-calling adults or landlines, no going outside, and clean up any snack mess). The basics. We stood and smiled like angels until they went into their room, but then we were off-the-wall. Oh yeah! Let the hyper-activity rise! Racing for the guest rooms and the bathrooms, we started off the night by changing into sand-free clothing (PJs). Jazz and Rose beat us all to the two available bathrooms, being more agile from the two weeks in the country they spend each summer. Rose stuck out her tongue as she swung into the downstairs bathroom, leaving me and Emmett in the hallway all alone. For the first time in a whole half-hour (forever in new couple time).

As soon as the lock clicked, Emmett had me spun and pinned against the wall, no space between us as he attcked my lips. When we came up for air, his forehead against mine, he panted tiredly, "That was the most uncomfortable car ride in the history of uncomfortable car rides."

"Why?" I giggled softly.

"It was suicidal!" he muttered. "The father of my girlfriend driving..."

I giggled more. "But he doesn't know," I pointed out, leaning to catch his lips again.

"Still," he mumbled around kisses. "Suicidal..."

Luckily, I heard the lock click before the door opened. I shoved Emmett off before Rosalie came out, muttering something about a movie and how Edward isn't very good at picking comedies.

I hopped into the bathroom and changed and brushed my hair and teeth. As I came out, Emmett was no where in sight. I tip-toed silently into the living room and asked, casually, "Where's Emmett?" At leat I think it was casual. My heart was kinda pounding too hard to hear much...

The response was a pair of arms lifting me and spinning me around, and a booming voice saying, "You take too long!"

I giggled goofily like a love-sick puppy and sat on the love-seat, sprawling out. I looked at Emmett upside down and batted my eyelashes. My heart felt so fluttery, and I kept giggling. Hey, you would too if you had a boyfriend like mine. Insert romantical sigh here...

Rosalie cued up a movie that I had no interest in, and Edward and Bella threw popcorn at each other across the room. Jasper pulled Bella to sit beside him on the angled couch, just as Rosalie draped herself across Edward. Emmett turned the light off, then came and lifted me with ease, laying me on top of him.

I lifted my head to give him one last, sweet kiss before I relaxed my muscles in turn, soon falling asleep in his arms.

It was _definately_ my day.

**A/N: Okay, I think this fluffiful chapter deserves reviews!!! PLEASE!!!!! **


	9. First Date

**Wow! It's been like, forever. I'm sorry, but I was sick(again) and I had finals, my birthday, some other crap, and a miscommunit=cation with my beta, and now you finally have something. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Sorry.**

**Dedicated to: I don't know... The reviewers and my beta.**

_Emmett and I dancing on the beach, barefoot, music coming from an unknown location. Sweet whispers between us. Small carresses to the cheek, gentle kisses... He leans down to my ear, says softly "I love you."_

_I look up, blush, sink into his embrace. I stand on the tips of my toes, trying to reach his ear. "How do you know? When did you decide?"_

_He smiles. Kisses me. Music reaches a high peak as his lips touch mine. "You know."_

"Wake up, Alice."

No, please, no! This can't end!

"Pixie princess, wake up. It's morning." It's Emmett's voice...

Wait, the last thing I remembered was Steve Martin on a construction lift... Rosalie _had_ to pick _Baby Mama_. My head was on something warm and vibrating, and something was running up and down my spine.

I was asleep! Dreaming! I wanted to cry, until the memories of the previous night overtook my mind. I felt myslef blush.

"Good morning, teddy bear..." I murmured softly.

"Morning..."

He softly kissed me. Yup, definitely awake now...

"Let's go get something to eat," he suggested, shifting a bit to make a point.

I pouted. "Aw, but I liked our previous activity so much better."

"Look at it this way.: we've got all weekend to be together. The quicker we get moving, the more time we have to do-" he kissed me teasingly- "that."

I rolled my eyes. "You're a tease." But I rolled off of him anyway. I could see my brother and Rose asleep, and an empty couch. I could also hear voices from the kitchen. Emmett headed in the general direction of the bathroom while I snuck to the kitchen door, evesdropping. I felt no need to be anywhere without Emmett, and since his current location wasn't appropriate for mixed company...

"It's funny," Mom said. "We give you all freedom and it's our own kids that get wrapped up. It's amazing the blatant acceptance they give. Not that I mind, but really, Carlisle woke me up telling me about Alice and Emmett."

"I'm just happy they're happy. I thought they'd never get on with it," sighed Bella dreamily. "It's so sweet..."

Mom's tinkly laugh filled the air. "I was wondering about that. She's so stubborn, I thought she was still thought of him in the toddlers-swimming-naked-on-the-swimming-pool way. Of course I knew all along that he was perfect, as did Carlisle. It's bad when parents thiknk it: it means it's obvious enough for parents to think it!"

"Trust me, we know. I have a scar from a particularly bad attack from age twelve. Ironically, about asking her if she liked Emmett," Jasper said, rousing more laughter. "Tough tiny thing."

I grinned. The first day I ever aknowleged my infatuation with the teddy bear that was now mine... Warm arms slid around my waist.

"Ready?" Emmett whispered.

I turned in his arms and drummed my fingerson the side of his neck. "They know."

"Better entertain them." He then threw me over his shoulder and traipsed into the kitchen. "Morning everyone!" He sang, dumping me into a chair.

"Mornin', Em. Mornin' Al," Jasper said, smirking.

"Help yourself," Mom said, waving at the stove, covered in enough food to feed an army... Or a few teenagers.

"Thanks, Esme," Emmett said, flashing his brilliant smile. _Well, at least he didn't sing..._

Mom smiled back and left, tapping her fingers together as if counting chores, probably doing just that.

"So..." Bella said, biting her lip. "How'd you sleep."

I knew there was no way to answer that without some sort of wrong sounding word combination, so I ignored her. Instead I looked to Jasper and said, in the sweetest way possible (note sarcasm) "Control your girlfriend."

Jasper just smiled, then simply elevated my embarrassment. "You look happy."

"Aghhh! No innuendos about my sister!" Edward groaned, walking -actually _bouncing_- in, Rosalie trudging in behind him. Rose in the morning: the best comedy show around.

"Morning,' ya'll," she mumbled, stumbling over her own feet sleepily. "Oh!"

She fell right on her face. How very Bella of her.

* * *

The rainy Saturday brought us to Port Angeles, at the movie theater.

"Behave and be careful," Charlie said. It was the Swans' 'shift' to handle us. Really, babysitters? What are we, twelve?

"Yeah, Dad," Bella said, trying to push him away.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" he pressed.

"Bye, Dad," Emmett pressed back.

"We'll be fine, Charlie," I insisted. He had a soft spot for me, so maybe he'd listen.

"You boys watch out for-"

"Go, Dad!" the both yelled.

"Okay, okay! I have to pick up something for Renee, anyway..." He spoke mostly to himself as he walked back to his parking space.

Once he was completely out of sight, Emmett grabbed my hand and dragged me to the ticket counter, while Jasper and Bella went to the concession stand, and Edward and Rosalie went to 'see something' in the corner, something that I was certain to be the backs of their own eyelids. Make of that what you will.

"Six for _G.I. Joe.,_" Emmett told the ticket girl, who looked to be about sixteen, and had her eye on him.

"Oh, that's a good one," she said, making an attempt to be seductive. "Bit scary though."

"Yeah, Dennis Quade scares my girlfriend, too. That's why I gotta protect her," he said, throwing an arm around me. "Now, six please."

The girls glared in my direction as she gave Emmett the tickets and his change. "Enjoy your movie," she muttured darkly. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her.

Once we were seated, the lights dimmed and the opening credits came on. Five minutes in, , my face was hidden in my hands as a man recieved a gruesome punishment.

Emmett cast a glsance in my direction, a frown adorning his features, he lifted the arms rest and wrapped his arms around me, letting me hide my face in his side.

The funny thing is, though, this was normal. He was first and foremost my best friend, and he always did the same things he does now, minus kissing my lips and holding me so much(not that he didn't hold me before, just not as much). I began questioning things. _How long did he actually like me?_

I'd have to ask him later...

Through the rest of the movie, we remained cuddled up, sneaking kisses and enjoying each others' warmth until it was over. As everyone stood to leave, we all started talking animatedly, reliving our favorite scenes and characters, and the surprise twist in villain. Outside we were greeted by a torrential downpour. Charlie and Renee were no where in sight, so Bella and Emmett pulled out their phones to dial Charlie and Renee, respectively.

"Dad?" Bella half shouted into her mouth peice, trying to outdo the rain. "Dad, can you hear me?"

"Mom? Mom, it's pouring! Where are you?" Emmett called into his.

"A wreck?" Bella shrieked. "Okay, okay, we'll call Vicky and Jamie. Love you too. Bye."

"Yeah, okay. Love you," Emmett sighed as he hung up, then looked at us. Sam, Leah, Seth and Emily, Seth and Leah's cousin from the Makah rez, got into a wreck."

"Oh, no! Are they okay?" Rosalie asked, looking fearful.

"Emily and Seth have some broken ribs, and possibly concussions, Sam was driving and has some deep cuts and a broken arm, and Leah's in shock. She seems pretty bad," Bella said, eyes beginning to water.

"Jasper put a comforting arm around her and pulled ut his phone to call Vicky. "Mom... Yeah, you heard... You're coming? Ten minutes? Okay."

"How about we go into that little coffee shop over there, Edward suggested after a long moment of silence.

We nodded in agreement and dashed tfrom covering to covering to the shop. We ordered some coffees and sat silently, shaken up by worry for our friend. Soon, the Hale's mini-van pulled up, to the curb, Vicky waving to us, and we were piling in.

What was happening to our dear friend, who was so happy less than twenty-four hours before? How did a simple wreck take so much out of her, or was there more to the story that we didn't know?

**A/N: Shout out to anyone who knows the origin of the 'Swimming-naked-in-the-kiddie-pool' thing. Hint: it is associated with a Twilight actor/actress's ex-love intrest.**


	10. Facing Hurtles

**Wooo!!! Tenth chappie! I'd like to thank you all for your patience. I recently had a tragedy in my family; my maternal grandmother died. Thank you for not giving up on this, and much thanks to my beta,** LucasMcDrake**. I don't own anything.**

**Dedicated to my grandmother, who oddly enough liked _Twilight_.**

Vicky dropped us off at the Swan's house, a modest little two-story with three bedrooms and one bathroom, and a fair sized expanse of yard. Charlie was home, collapsed in a chair rubbing his head with his gun stashes away for safety. He said something about no closed doors and Renee being at the grocery store, then turned on a game. When we were little, we'd roughhouse mostly, playing tag and hiding seek. Now, we'd calmed a bit, choosing instead to hang out in Emmett or Bella's room. We went upstairs and split off, Bella and Rosalie drifting into Bella's room with Jasper and Edward following them like lost puppies, while Emmett and I gravitated to his. After being careful to leave a considerable amount of space between the door and the door frame, Emmett laid down on his bed. Following my instinct, I sat next to him as I normally would, looking down onto his resting face for the first time in a while. His eyelashes fanned out delicately(the only delicate thing about him), and made the aeriel view that much nicer. I loved to look at him, and I'm sure he liked the attention.

I leaned down and kissed the dimple on the right side of his mouth. He turned his head before I could pull away and caught my lips with his. He smiled when I pulled back, biting my lip.

"Sit with me," he said, pulling himself up to lean back on his pillows.

I crawled to sit beside him, but he took my waist and pulled me to rest between his legs, a position Same and Leah had displayed many a bonfire. He held me around my middle as I leaned back into his chest. No words were exchanged, but soon, as if choreographed, we both shifted too look each other in the eye. Our lips touched gently, and soon we were into yet another lip-locking session. A few minutes in, we had an unexpected visitor: Charlie.

de"Um, well," he grunted, looking away uncomfortably. "Renee needs help, Em."

My heart was absolutely_ racing. I'm so dead!!!_

"Yeah, okay Dad," Emmett said, shifting from behind me.

I blushed scarlet and scrambled away._ Charlie will hate me now_, I thought as Emmett left me and Charlie alone.

Finally, Charlie spoke. "'Bout time that boy came to his senses. Keep him in line, and tell me if he gets difficult. I'll remind him how he was raised to treat a lady."

I blushed harder and smiled broadly. Charlie left to check on the others, fairly pink himself. I pulled myself up off the bed and wondered around, looking at pictures hanging on his walls, mostly, I was thrilled to see, of me and him. For a moment, I heard what sounded like "My baby!" I giggled, looking at more picture. Photo strips were scattered, of us alone, us with others, a lot. We had to have been thirteen or so. We were smaller, but there was one of all of us where Rose and Ed were fused at the lips.

Suddenly, I was lifted off the ground. "Oh my- Oh! No fair, Teddy Bear!" I whined, elbowing Emmett, who was laughing hysterically, so he's put me down. "You scared me!"

He laughed at me more. "Hey, Mom wants pictures."

"Why?" I asked fearfully.

"She just does, screaming about 'her baby' and all, she needs it," Emmett chuckled. "She's gotta 'save it' for the future."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "She's... A mom."

Emmett grinned. "Now what were we doing before Charlie interrupted?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know."

"Hmmm..." Then he kissed me suddenly. I smirked into the kiss, then heard a click.

"Perfect!" Renee said, grinning and toying with her digital camera. "Wanna see?"

I turned red, as did Emmett. "Sure," he groaned.

"Too bad," she said, laughing. "I'm saving it for a worthwhile time!"

Then she left, leaving us red and embarrassed.

"Em," I said, gritting my teeth, "I... _Really _want to hurt you."

"How many times since yesterday?" he asked, rolling his eyes. He knew me so well.

"Too many to count."

"Figured you were holding out on me. Go ahead."

I jumped up and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him to the ground and pinning him down. "Never embarrass me like that. _Ever_."

"That's my girl." Then he flipped us, initiating a wrestling match.

It was like being ten again! Horseplaying with my best friend, goofing off, not worrying about stuff like dating and boys. We flipped and flopped and laughed and all that jazz. I thought I saw someone when I was hanging over Emmett's shoulder, but it passed when I found myself six feet in the air.

We finally collapsed, laughing, side by side. Emmett rolled onto his side and smile at me.

"So... First fight, huh?" he asked jokingly.

"Yeah, I guess."

"So... Why didn't you tell me when you were mad at me?"

"I just... I thought..." I said quietly, not bringing myself to say the words.

"That I wouldn't like you?" he said softly. He brushed a lock of hair from my face. "Alice, I've liked you as long as I can remember. I've liked you through cooties, puberty, everything. When we were little sitting together in Sunday school, when you were a tiny tomboy and loved mud, when we had 'Growing Up' videos in health. The whole time. That includes your temper. I'm not gonna break up with you over that. I don't intend on breaking up with anyway."

I bit my lip. "I was wondering how long you liked me."

"How long have you liked me?"

"I guess it's been there all along, but I really acknowledged it when we were twelve."

"So..." he said slyly. "First fight, so does that mean we get a make-up kiss?"

I grinned and rolled my eyes, then kissed him.

A knock came from the door and there, smirking, stood Jasper.

"Dinner time," he said simply, then walked away.

**A/N: Reviews people, and no, silly boy, I did NOT forget about Leah! (Don't ask.)**

**~Sidney**


	11. In His VICE

**Yay! I know, I'm AWFUL, but wanna know something? I had graduation exams, got sick AGAIN(I hate my immune system, by the way), and have been working on a few other stories. But yay! I typed this all up, send it to my beta, then got it back and ready to roll in like, a day and a few hours. And you're pretty much assured a new chapter no later than the 19th, but I won't promise before that. **

**I do not own this, sorry kiddos.**

**Oh, and thanks LMD**(Lucas McDrake)**, for finding my awful spelling and grammatical errors before I put this up. THANKS!!! Oh, and thanks to my many reviewers, on-site and anon. **

**Now read and review!!!!!**

Dinner time in the Swan house: Indescribable. Charlie and Bella were quiet, Renee and Emmett were bubbling over with absolute randomness, and everyone else-well, we enjoyed to show. For dinner Renee had picked up Chinese take-out from Port Angeles, and between Emmett losing patience with his chopsticks and instead stabbing his food and Charlie grunting in protest when Renee tried to feed him steamed vegetables, we were all thoroughly enjoying ourselves, forgetting about the injured friend we had a few miles over. That is, until Charlie cleared his throat.

"Kids, Leah wasn't just put into shock," he said quietly, once we'd quieted down. "She... She was thrown from the vehicle, through the windshield."

I caught my breath, as did a few others I was too preoccupied to recognize.

Rosalie, her voice sttrangled form lack of breath, spoke first, having been the closest to Leah of all of us. "Is she- was she-"

Charlie patted her hand awkwardly. "She's alive, a real fighter Carlisle said. But she suffered quite a blow, and when the EMT's arrived on the scene she was unconscious, and when they brought her to she wasn't responding to any of their questions."

"So was does it mean? Did they figure anything out?" Edward asked.

"I went to the hospital with Harry and Sue, and Carlisle said she suffered a concussion and they were going to check for amnesia," Charlie said, taking a deep breath, then giving a reassuring smile. "She'll be okay, hopefully. We just have to wait. Now, what do we have for dessert?"

~*~*~

Emmett and I volunteered to clean the kitchen after dinner- me because I wanted to make up for the whole being-caught-making-out-with-the-house-owners'-son-in-said-son's-bedroom thing, Emmett because I volunteered and he had nothing better to do.

I ran one side of the sink full of hot, soapy water, placing the dishes in it, then carefully washing them while Emmett cleaned the table and counters.

"So... What do you think about Leah?" I asked him softly, placing the last dish in the drain and turning to face him. He was obsessively shining the table, failing to realize every time he wiped one place, he rested his left hand on the table and smudged another. I hid a giggle, assuming he'd be more likely to share his more emotional side when he was preoccupied; not that he really ever had problems expressing emotion to me, but better to be prepared than pushed away.

"I don't know. I'm worried about her, but... I know she'll be okay," he said quietly. "But I can't help but think..."

"Think what?"

"I feel a little worse for Sam, because he has to live with knowing that..." Emmett pondered, then hesitated, finishing just a little too quickly, "That his girlfriend is hurt."

I didn't press, but something inside screamed at me, _He's lying!_

I said, instead, "I'm going to go get the shower before Jazz, since _someone_ hogged it this morning," I said, shoving him playfully. I felt a little let down, not being able to get it all out of him, but I supposed that lightening the mood would help a little, since neither of us were all that great with semi-depressing topics. I stopped at the door and turned to him. "Try wiping without putting your hand down."

He looked confused for a moment as I turned to leave, then I heard an almost inaudible, "_Dammit..."_

~*~*~

So, I'll admit it, I'm just a little nosy. Okay, a _lot_ nosy.

But it's not my fault Emmett's toiletry bag just happened to be sitting out, and I just happened to drop my hairbrush near it, and I just happened to peek inside...

Okay, so I had a sudden burst of curiosity and looked in it just because. But I mean, it wasn't like I was going through his E-mail or text messages. I mean, all that was in there was Head and Shoulders 2-in-1 head and body wash, Colgate Total, a toothbrush, and a bottle of Axe. Vice... So the mystery was revealed. I knew my new favorite scent, and I fully intended to get a mini-bottle next time I was in the body-spray aisle. Don't judge me...

Anyway, when I got downstairs, the guys were in a full-out war. AKA, wrestling while Bella and Rosalie held their stomachs laughing so hard. I decided to be stupid and help Jasper take down Edward by jumping on Edward's back, but that dream was cut short when Edward decided to fall backwards, so my options were get crushed, or land on Rose and Bella. Guess which one I picked?

Soon, we were all in a full-out, flying-projectile, every-man-for-himself war. As I pelted Rose with some Swedish Fish, I took a Twinky to the head, aimed by none other than Emmett. I smiled sarcastically, then tackled him, leaning down to whisper in his ear, "Special spot?"

He smiled and jumped up before I had a chance to stand, knocking me to the ground. He went first, as per usual. He'd go, I'd wait ten minutes, then go, and we could hide for hours. I finally got away, to the Swans' storage building in the backyard, where there was a large old claw foot tub, yellowed with age, and out of use for years. Emmett was already sitting in the tub with his legs dangling over the side, eating out of the bag a Swedish Fish I'd been using as ammo. I climbed in and accepted the handful of sticky red gummies he offered.

"So," he said, breaking the silence.

"So..." I said, trailing off, waiting for him to start a topic.

"Do you remember," he said suddenly, "when we were little-like little-little, when footy pajamas were cool and going a day without changing a pull-up got you an ice-cream cone- and would run in here and act like this was a castle, and we had to hide from the dragon and invaders, and you would be the princess and I would be the knight that saved you?"

I smiled and nodded. "And when Renee and Esme would come in and find us asleep, cuddled together, and when I woke up at home, I'd cry because I didn't know where you went." Darn, even as a child I would cry over a guy.

"Do you ever wish we were little again?" he asked, taking my hand and rubbing circles into the back of my hand.

I thought for a moment-about the adventures, talk of the future, and ignorance to heartbreak-then looked at him seriously and said, "No."

"Why not?" he asked softly.

"Because if we were little, we wouldn't have lived through what we already have. We wouldn't have grown up, we wouldn't have gone through the trials we have, and..." I cleared my throat. "We wouldn't be together."

He smiled, then leaned over and kissed me softly. "True, but this thing was more comfortable back then."

**A/N: Again, I am not from Forks, or even close to it. Please, feel free to point out dialect mistakes and such. And take a moment to review, then go check out my poll. Super smily time!!!**

**~Sidney**


	12. Sleepy Pancakes

**So, funny story of the day, I thought I could be Wonderwoman at 6:35 and get this fixed and posted by the time my bus got here at 6:50, and I failed, epically. I know this is four days late, but in my defense, it was done Friday, but **Lucas McDrake**, being the fantabulous beta he is, wrote Emmett's POV for me, and with me in charge, who knows how difficult a challenge that can be, but I'm betting on fairly difficult, as I am a very difficult person, lol.**

**I'm mixing up the thanks and dedication this chappie. Thanks to all my reviewers, but a special shoutout goes to **LilMissJenny**. I swear your review was the most inspiring I've received in a long while, possibly ever, especially for such a crowded fandom, so thanks so much!**

**I don't own this, of course, but I do own my plot, and plagerism is highly frowned upon, children(brownie points who can tell me who I quoted and what word I switched!). **

After a little while of talking about childhood games and a little kissing- okay, a_ lot_ of kissing- Renee came out back.

She knocked on the open door of the shed, then stepped in. "Hey kids, Charlie and I are turning in and we'd rather you be inside while we're asleep." She winked and flashed a knowing smile and left us to our own ideas, oddly.

I pushed myself up, then turned to Emmett, who said, "Pull me!" in a whiny little kid voice. I laughed and took his hands and 'pulled' him up. He then said, "Carry me!" and threw his arms around my shoulders and leaned a little weight and dragged his feet and I started, giggling, toward their house. We stumbled into the living room, where Emmett whined (again), "Be my pillow!"

There are some things you never grow out of...

The others, who were watching AFV, shushed him. I flopped onto the couch and Emmett placed his head in my lap. I started playing with his hair, winding dark curls around my fingers, loving the soft feeling of his hair between my fingers. He took one of my hands and kissed it, then held it to his chest. I patted his head like a dog, then settled back to watch the show.

~*~*~

I woke up covered to my chin with a blanket, half-laying in the corner of the couch. I realized I was still sitting like I was holding Emmett's head, and that said head was currently absent. With a little yawn, I stretched and went to headhunt(pun intended).

In the kitchen sat Renee and the girls, the boys (yes the _boys_) making breakfast. I sat down at the table between Bella and Rose, watching the show as the boys made pancakes. Most of them were turning out okay, but some of them were burning or crumbling(okay, most). Emmett began to pass plates around, planting a swift kiss on my cheek when he got to me, drawing a little attention, but not unwanted. Definitely better than Renee's little photo-op.

I nibbled on my pancakes, then started coughing on a batter ball. "Um, guys, how did you cook these?" I asked, once I'd drank a little milk to rinse the nastiness out.

"Two minutes, like it said," Jasper said, pointing to the box of mix.

Bella stood and looked at it closely. "Jazzy, is says two minutes on _each side_."

The boys started laughing then began to take all the plates. Edward said, "I think we're going to have my specialty today: cereal and milk."

"Safe idea," Renee said, patting him on the back as he took her plate.

**Emmett POV**

"Emmett."

The annoyed tone of whoever's voice sorta pierced my wicked awesome dream of Alice and me in our imaginary castle of our childhood. I really felt like murdering whoever owned that voice, but I rationalized that it wasn't worth it.

Opening my eyes slowly (as do all newcomers to consciousness normally), I recognized Ed as my vision came in focus. "What?" I mumbled, remembering as my jaw slid open and shut that my head still lay on Alice's lap. Her hand was still in my hair...

"Your snoring sorta woke everyone except your_ princess pixie _up, so we thought we'd get our revenge." Edward, smiling wide, got out of fist range.

I woke up for _this_? He didn't even get the name right. Forgetting all about relishing the feel of Alice's hand on my mat of hair, I jumped off the couch and got Ed in a headlock and left him in it until he was begging to get out. Content with his reaction, I laughed, releasing him as I glanced back at Alice.

In sleep, she, as always, looked exactly as her nickname would suggest. Her soft breathing, her peaceful expression, her slightly parted lips, her..._everything _fit the image of a pixie princess. I held back a sigh of contentment, deciding instead to settle with leaning against one of the nearby walls to admire her.

My parents were obviously still not awake, so as the laughing died down, life went on; everyone eventually dispersed to miscellaneous locations, Bella and Jasper probably departing to walk in the woods, with Edward and Rose most likely having another lip-lock session upstairs (hopefully _not_ in my room...). I, for one, decided that I'd walk outdoors for a bit; I didn't want to miss the sun shining out.

As I stepped outside through the backdoor, I saw Bella and Jazz leaning against the house, enjoying the blue sky together. I decided against bombing their moment (however tempting it was), and entered the woods.

The greenery seemed to glow under the sunlight streaming through the canopy of the forest. I couldn't stop myself from coming to a halt after a few minutes, and sitting on a nearby log. I felt a chilly moisture seep through my jeans. Looking down, I saw that the log was still damp with last night's rain. I chuckled for a moment, and looked back at the foliage.

My chuckle died quickly; of course the plants were beautiful, but I usually did this with Alice. Right now, I wanted to talk to Alice-say something like, "You know, it's really nice out today."

She'd probably say something like, "That's sort of a given, teddy bear." Yeah, I think that's _exactly _what she would say.

Then, I would smile-like I was doing right now, just thinking about this-and say something along the lines of...what? What would I say?

Oh, well. I liked imagining Alice's side of the conversation more, anyway. Then again, it was better just to have her perform her lines herself, in person... That way, I didn't have to go through the torture of not having her at my side to say these comments in the first place, however dumb my comments may be. Laughing quietly to myself, I stood and started my trek back to the house.

Crossing out of the threshold of the forest, I saw that Bella and Jasper were absent from the spot they had previously occupied. I guessed that ma and paps were up. I decided to check up on what chaos had been wreaked while I was away. I was immediately distracted upon entering the house, however; my pixie princess was still playing sleeping beauty on the sofa. I devilish smirk plastered itself on my face; time for a wake-up call.

My plans were smashed into the ground, however, when said-princess's brother entered.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't do that." Edward gave me a mock glare that told me, in a nutshell, that he wanted revenge, but only on viable grounds; I could see that awakening sleeping beauty would have to wait.

"Alright," I sighed, moving my mouth away from Alice's ear slowly with my arms raised as to show surrender. "What did you have in mind?"

Edward smiled. "About time you showed up; the men of this household are planning to tackle breakfast so that the ladies can get a break. Care to join?"

My knowing smirk returned. "Who's idea was this?" If I had learned anything from Home Ec, it was that guys, in general, tended to suck at cooking, to say the least.

"Charlie's."

The end of the world-okay kitchen-as we know was coming... "This has gotta be good," I quickly whispered to myself. "Count me in; I_ have _to see this."

As I entered the kitchen, I saw all of the ladies in question lined up at the table, watching with apparent amusement. All of the men were in an assembly line of sorts, with Jazz cooking pancakes, Charlie mixing the batter with apparent difficulty and Edward observing from the sidelines, and occasionally pitching in.

Choking on guffaws I shoved back down my throat, I prepared plates for everyone, setting a pancake on each one and lathering each one with butter and syrup.

As I turned with two plates in hand to set on the table, I saw Alice make her entrance. Upon seeing the commotion, she stifled a laugh, and sat at the table between Bella and Rose. Attempting to hide my own amusement in vain, I instead decided, as I set my pixie princess's plate, to kiss her forehead as to have a reason to be beaming a grin.

I must say, I _adore _her blush.

Beaming as mentioned before, I heard Alice splutter. After a moment of silence, Alice inquired, "Um, guys, how did you cook these?"

_Here comes the end_, I thought.

"Two minutes, like it said," Jazz stated, pointing at the box.

Bella stood up and double checked for everyone. "Jazzy, it says to minutes on _each side_."

All of us laughing, we cleared the plates as Edward suggested, "I think we're going to have my specialty today: cereal and milk."

"Safe idea," Renee stated.

So much for a dramatic end...

**Review!!! You know you loved it, lol. :D**

**~Sidney**


	13. Long Enough

**Sidney is uber excited about this update! Sidney feels like talkin in third person. She doesn't own _Twilight_, because if she did, Emmett and Alice would be together!!! She is ready to show you her work, and her beta's work, so gogogo.**

Sunday was lazy, for the most part. After the epic breakfast fail, we just laid around all day, hanging out. Emmett and I were hanging out in his room mostly, enjoying the last day of the weekend together before school.

I was stretched out on his bed, thumbing through one of his many video game cheat books, looking for a code for him while he tried to beat some game. I didn't even pay attention to what it was called. I was bored to tears, pretty much, and he must have noticed I was being unresponsive, so he saved the game and turned it off, then sat on the ground next to my head.

"Are you bored with me?" he teased, taking the book and closing.

"Your game, kinda," I said, laying my head down where the book had previously been.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, 'suggesting' his own idea by kissing my cheek.

"I don't know, plan a Halloween costume?" I suggested, shoving him playfully. I'd decided that if all we ever did was kiss, we wouldn't get to do coupley stuff. And anyway, no matter how much fun it was now, it could be turned boring easily if we explored it too much to soon.

"Oh, that's an okay idea," he said, kissing a little closer to my mouth.

"Teddy bear," I whined, pushing him away, "Don't you wanna do something funny?" Then, as the idea formed in my demented mind, a demented smirk graced my face. Then, suggestively, I said to him, "I could dress you up as a teddy bear..."

"Oh, my…" he trailed off, most likely hit with the idea of my forcing him into a Disney zip-up costume to be hugged by slobbery toddlers and photographed with squalling infants.

"Aw, teddy bear, I don't mean a full body suit, just a brown turtle-neck and brown pants, maybe with a red bow-tie and a big heart on your tummy that says hug me!" I got over-excited and inspired. "Do you have a piece of paper?"

He got me a few sheets from his printer, a pencil, and a hardback book to sketch on. He watched me draw out my ideas, shuddering at the 'hug me' heart. It looked pretty good, if I do say so myself. I'd always been a pretty good artist, and I did well putting together outfits, so it made sense that maybe I could be good at creating outfits as well.

"If I'm going to be a teddy bear, what are you going to be? A pixie princess?" he joked, watching as I sketched a basic outline of a dress on another page.

"Exactly," I said in absolute seriousness. Soon, I had our costumes designed, so I began raiding his closet.

"What the- Alice, _what_ are you doing?" he asked, watching as I dug through his messily hung clothing. He started pacing nervously; maybe he was freaked out, or maybe he was traumatized by the thought of me actually going through with my demented plan. You think he'd know better...

"Aha!" I said, unearthing a long sleeved brown men's V-neck. "How valuable is this?"

"You got it for me, remember? Last January, I think. You said every guy should have at least one and got it for me," he said, still confused.

"Okay, I'm borrowing it," I decided, laying it out. I then looked through his dress pants to try to find an average measurement. When that failed, I stared him down. "What are your waist and leg measurements?"

"Alice, what are you-" Then it hit him. "You're making the costume?"

Blonde points for Emmett!

"Yup!" I said proudly, grinning widely.

"You are…" He shook his head incredulously, pacing still.

"Awesome?" I suggested, smiling impishly. He rolled his eyes and walked up to me, catching my waist.

"Insane, but I'm sure you'll do great. You always manage to get what you want," he said, smirking. "Can I have a kiss now?"

I rolled my eyes. "My job is never done," I said boredly, grabbing his face and pulling it down to mine.

The goodbyes were bittersweet (for me and Emmett anyway). The weekend had seemed like forever. When my parents called to say they were coming to get Edward and I,Emmett and I were suddenly struck with the realization that we actually had to be apart for more than five minutes at a time. Sitting in Emmett's room, between his legs and resting on his chest, I sulked, wanting to cry again. He crossed his arms over mine, holding me closer, kissing my hair. I sighed, turning my head towards him.

"I don't wanna go," I said, pouting.

"I don't want you to, but I'll see you in the morning," he said soothingly.

"But what if school's different? What if you decide you don't want to be seen with me like that?" I said, a little hysterically, I must add.

"I still can't believe you doubt my feelings for you," he laughed, nuzzling my cheek.

"I still can't believe you _have_ feelings for me," I said, catching his lips.

I heard the door open downstairs and whimpered, turning fully and holding onto him.

We got up and walked to his bedroom door, sharing light, short kisses the whole way.

"I'll walk you to your car," he said, taking my hand and pulling me along, leading me to the den, where my parents were waiting.

Ed and Rose had done this before, Jazz and Bella as well, but we were new to this. When I was settling into my seat, a few minutes before everyone else, Emmett took my face into his hands. He kissed me, long and hard, then reached and buckled me in. "Goodnight, pixie princess."

****

Bella POV

__

Screech!!!

I swear, if he flips one more-

__

Screech!!!

Okay, I'm killing him. He's dead. My brother is going to die tonight.

Why was I planning my brother's demise, you may ask? Let's explore my evening.

Emmett Andrew Swan decided to mope through dinner, picking at his dinner, then leaving early. After dinner, he used every ounce of hot water, then dripped all the way from the bathroom, downstairs to the laundry room, back to his room, wearing only a towel the entire trip, leaving ample opportunity for injury to none other than me(which happened). He then blasted his idiotic playlist of songs he listens to when he's feeling down, which makes everyone else feel down, courtesy of songs such as "Viva la Vida," "Apologise," and-God only knows what he was thinking when he downloaded THIS one, "Bleeding Love" (not that it was a bad song, but the image of my brother lip-syncing Leona Lewis was too much). After that filled my head, I decided to call Jasper.

"Jazzy, I'm going to die!" I moaned.

He simply laughed. "I seriously doubt it."

"He's making me crazy! Now he's on the phone with her and the last ten minutes have been 'You hang up first, no you, no you!' I'm losing it!"

Needless to say, that conversation ended soon. Amused Jasper plus pissed Bella equals not good.

And that brings us back to now. 11:30, and I'm still awake.

__

Screech!!!

Okay, he's seriously dead. Seriously.

I jumped out of bed and stomped-okay, tip-toed past my parents door, then stomped-to his room and jumped on his bed.

"What the-" he sputtered.

"Oh my gosh! Go to sleep!" I whisper-yelled at him, shaking his shoulders.

"I can't, I don't have-"

"Alice, I know! You lived nearly fifteen years without using her as a security blanket, I think five days would be nothing, don't you think?" My brother could be _so_ stupid.

"Ugh, so? I still miss-"

"You are _obsessed_! It's fine to miss her, just don't make a wimp out of yourself! Seriously, go to sleep now, see her sooner!" I said, hitting his forehead as if trying to shove the obvious fact in.

"Ouch, and I can't sleep!" he whined. Geez, what was wrong with this boy?

"Well, get over it, and if your stupid bed creaks one more time you will wake up tied to a tree, in Canada, _naked_, with no memory of how you got there. Got it?"

He nodded his head, obviously scared. I'm not the most pleasant when I'm tired, I've been told.

Back in my bed, I heard nothing else before I fell asleep. When I was woken up at 5:30, however…

****

Alice POV

I woke up the next morning from a long, restless night. After an excruciatingly long morning of getting dressed and eating breakfast with my family, we _finally_ left the house. I was fidgeting by the time we pulled up to the school drop off zone.

Emmett and Bella were there already, and as soon as Daddy was out of vision range, I flew into his arms for the first time in twelve hours, half of which were spent conscious.

Before any words were exchanged, his lips were on mine, as we kissed urgently. When our need for air outweighed our need to be attached, we only separated at the lips, grinning goofily. He swung me around, then sat me on a picnic table that the others had apparently occupied whilst we were engaging in… _o__ther_ activities.

Now we had to face the day… Raise your hand if you're excited!

**A/N: Raise your hands! Next chappie leaks in the plot, finally, after forever of fluffiness. It won't make a lot of sense, but trust me, it's there. Brownie points if you have already taken some of the midget-hints and figured it out!**

**~Sidney**


	14. Fighting

**BACK! Yes, it's been a while. Exams suck! And so does saying goodbye... Okay, well, the plot is really getting started in this chapter. Brownie points if you guess the plot right! I don't own Twilight, but I own my plot. Also, check out my new story "Don't You Just Love It"!**

When more and more people started getting to school, it seemed no one noticed the change in dynamic of mine and Emmett's relationship. It wasn't until the bell rang to go to class that anyone saw anything. Emmett put his bag on his back, my bag on his right arm, and held my right hand with his left. People started chattering quietly. Since we had first, fourth and last period together-and, of course, lunch-there would be plenty of time for this to catch fire midst the student body, which had nothing better to do. The joy of small towns...

After holding hands all through Honors Lit, he walked me to Health and then went to his next class-after giving me a kiss that sent shock waves all the way down to my toes. After third, he showed up to Honors History to walk me to Consumer Science, which would have been totally sweet if his hair wasn't dripping everywhere.

"Let me guess, you skipped showers in gym?" I asked, backing away from the hug he offered.

"No, I just didn't dry off," he said, grabbing me against my will, which-I admit-was cute. I didn't even scold him for getting me wet, not that I minded, to tell the truth.

I rolled my eyes and we went to our next class. I don't think our hands separated for more than five seconds at a time until lunch. Finally, I dropped into a seat with my tray of unidentifiable goop, Emmett following suit.

"You guys," Rosalie greeted us, "are causing quite a stir."

I smiled. Poor little half-wits who actually cared what other people thought, this must have been a culture shock for them. "So what have you heard around the rumor mill?"

Edward glared at Emmett, who was-I think-attempting the world record for fastest time consuming radioactive material. "I heard from several people you and Em were making out before second."

"So no lies yet, that's good," I said, resisting a smirk while Edward coughed and choked on whatever he was eating.

"What- what the-" he spluttered.

"Calm down, breathe, baby," Rosalie said, rubbing his back a little. "She was joking."

I actually started laughing out loud. My brother being called 'baby' by anyone was _tres_ amusing. Emmett, Jazz, and Bella joined in, laughing at Ed's embarrassment. Oh well, he deserved it. Kinda. Emmett and I left to the courtyard early to hang out a little while before splitting up.

We were sitting in the grass, talking about what weird things our friends had done in other classes, when all of a sudden we had a guest. Mike Newton walked up to us.

Oh, joy.

"So, were you two sick of being single, or was she your only match on E-harmony?" he said, laughing at his own joke.

"Get lost, Newton," Emmett said, glaring at him.

"Because it's okay, my grandma tried it once. She got a really lame choice, too." He pushed and pushed, not knowing what he was getting himself into. "I mean, I guess it could be meant to be. Someone's gotta be stuck with the little weird one, how else would we control them? Well, I guess the psych ward is an option…"

That actually stung a little, but I tried to push it back and focus on Emmett, shaking with rage.

"Em, Emmett calm down," I muttered, putting a hand on his arm. "Mike Newton, leave now or _I'll_ talk to Charlie about pressing charges for harassment."

He rolled his eyes, but left anyway. Funny, I was just phishing. Emmett wrapped is arms around me, pulling me to his chest. "I hate him."

I laughed, "Well that's a given, Teddy Bear." That made him bust out laughing, a little harder than the comment was necessary, but I didn't question. Better to have him shaking from laughter than anger.

When the stupid bell rang, Emmett gave me a sweet little kiss, then went off, grumbling about something.

That should have been my first clue…

I was walking to sixth with Jasper, trying to ignore the looks from preps, when suddenly we heard shouting from the other side of the office building. Everyone began running to where there was apparently a fight. Jasper and I exchanged bemused glances, then went to see who was fighting. We broke through the crowd to see one large figure wailing on a smaller figure, and I would've followed the teachers' orders and stayed back… If that large figure wasn't my completely idiotic, death wish carrying, over protective boyfriend.

"Emmett Andrew Swan!" I screamed over the shouting, fighting a few people who apparently had the sense to hold the tiny chick away from the fight. I broke their grasp and did the stupidest possible thing: I tried to yank Emmett back. Now, he'd been in fights before, and he usually behaved after my first scream, but when I saw who this was… Let's just say Newton Outfitters would lose some business if their son's injuries(which looked _very_ wild) were advertised in any way. Emmett got distracted enough for Mike to get up and throw a punch randomly, only missing me because Emmett shoved me backwards and grabbed his fist, twisting his arm back as far as he could go and further, making him collapse on said arm. I got up and glared at Emmett, looked at Mike extremely confused, then glared at Emmett some more.

"What the hell, Emmett? Wanna tell me what was going on in your head?" I screamed at him, hitting his chest. Trust me, I'd done worse to him, but, well, that hit?

Well, that was a bad call… The principal, Coach Fowler, materialized with incredible timing. "Miss Cullen! Mr. Swan, Mr. Newton! My office. _Now."_

Well, like I said, I usually intervened vocally in Emmett's fights, so being in trouble wasn't exactly new. But Mike Newton moaning about his arm and being carted off to the nurses office was. Emmett was going to have hell to pay if that boy's arm was broken.

So now here we were, sitting side by side, in front of the principal. Emmett had his arms crossed, looking angry. I couldn't have looked much happier. The principal cleared his throat and leaned over his desk. "Someone care to explain to me why Emmett attacked Mr. Newton and Alice felt the need to intervene?" Oh yeah, first name basis with the principal. Good and bad thing, good because he liked us, bad because he made us feel that much more guilty when we misbehaved.

"It's not her fault," Emmett grumbled, keeping his eyes down.

"Then why was she screaming at you, and why was she seen jumping into the fight?" Coach asked, challenging him.

"She was yelling at me, she doesn't need to be here."

"Why not? Would you like to explain what exactly your little fight was about?" he pushed further.

"Not with her here," Emmett said, looking more and more annoyed.

Honestly, I hate when Emmett is angry. It's sometimes kind of scary. And right now, it was starting to give me that chill I get when his temper gets the best of him.

"Alice, do you want to leave so Emmett can tell me what provoked him?" Coach Fowler asked patiently.

"I'll leave long enough for him to tell you."

"Okay, go sit outside and I'll come get you when he's told me."

I went into the hallway and waited for all of five minutes, then was called back in to be questioned by myself while Emmett waited.

"Alice, does Mike Newton ever give you trouble?" Coach asked.

"Well, he makes fun of me… And Emmett… He picks on us for-for different reasons," I said, nervous.

"Has he ever made derogatory comments to you?"

"He said…" I blushed. It was stupid, tattling, but if Coach wanted to know... "He said if Emmett couldn't handle me, I could be put in a psych ward."

"Did he say anything to Emmett about you that you know of?"

"No... Why?" I heated up. "Did he pick a fight with that idiot because of something he _said_?"

"I think we're done for today. Neither of you will be in trouble, I have the information I need. Come to me if Mr. Newton bothers you anymore."

"But Coach-"

"Enough, Miss Cullen, now go to your last class with Mr. Swan, try to get him to calm down."

I stood up and stalked out, annoyed at the Principal and Emmett both. I grabbed Emmett's arm and went into the main office area to get our bags and a pass, then dragged him outside to walk toward our class building. Before we got all the way there, I blocked Emmett and put my hands on my hips.

"Tell me what happened, _now_," I demanded, boiling with anger. Not really at him, but at being confused.

"Nothing," he said, looking uneasy.

"Tell me. Did he say something? Did he insult you?"

"No, he said… Something about you," he said, turning red and looking ashamed.

"What, just tell me, it can't be too bad."

"He said that even though I've got you now, that it wouldn't be hard for the men in the white coats to find you," he muttered.

I busted out laughing. "What is so bad? It's funny! He's too stupid to think of anything better."

"I know, I felt dumb for attacking him, but he pissed me off. I didn't think," he mumbled.

I smiled at him, my silly boyfriend(day four and I still want to scream at the thought). I rolled my eyes and grabbed his hand. "C'mon Teddy Bear, class time."

Math plus Emmett equals very confused Alice. Between the teacher explaining inscribed angles and Emmett nudging me every five seconds to make a face at me, I pretty much guessed on my homework. 52 here, square root of 72 there, whatever looked good. The final bell rang, signaling us to go home, and Emmett and I left hand in hand.

"So, are we starting a revolution?" Emmett asked, leading me to the pick up zone.

"Definitely," I said, leaning up to kiss him goodbye before my mom saw me.

That night, as I laid in my bed, contemplating the day, I thought about why Emmett would possibly get upset over Newton's comments. I shrugged it off and allowed myself to succumb to Mr. Sandman.

As I drifted into the Land of Nod, a small voice whispered in my head...

_What if it wasn't Newton? What if it was more than the person who gave the comments, but the comments themselves?_

**A/N: Okay, now review, and try to guess the plot! Use context clues! Lol, more to come, the next chapter is under construction!**

**~Sidney**


	15. Building Up

**I don't own Twilight, I'm sorry for the wait, and I'm going to hurry before my stupid computer does something else to absolutely PISS ME OFF. Lol...**

I awoke to my phone going off with Emmett's personal ringtone, a recording he'd made over the summer of himself saying "Alice, Alice, hey Alice, Alice!" over and over and over… You get it. I must have forgotten to mute it before I went to sleep.

After having dragged my phone from it's resting place next to my head, I flipped it open. "Teddy bear?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning, my pixie princess," he said softly.

"What time is it?" I said, noticing it was darker than normal.

"Four," he said sheepishly.

I laughed, then growled playfully, "And you're calling me because?"

"I woke up and wanted to hear my amazing girlfriend's voice?" he tried sheepishly.

"Try again," I said, yawning lightly.

"I had a nightmare and I had to check that you were okay," he said quietly.

I rolled onto my side, curling up and speaking quietly to him. "Emmett, are you okay? This isn't like you."

He was silent for a moment. "I'm just worried."

"About what?" I asked soothingly, trying to ease it out of him.

"I just don't want to lose you, Alice," he said in what could only be a shy tone.

"Emmett, you were the one reassuring me Saturday. You don't have anything to worry about," I said firmly.

He sighed. "I p-Look, it's nothing. I just-I shouldn't have woken you up. I just wanted to hear your voice."

I struggled for what to say, confused and worried. "As adorable as that is, I've made plenty of recordings on your phone you could listen to," I finally teased.

"I wanted to talk to you. Real Alice, not techno-recording Alice. I had to-to hear you talking to me," he said softly. "I'm sorry I called so- early or late?"

I paused, hearing floorboards squeaking slightly above me. "Early, because Daddy's awake. I gotta go, Teddy Bear."

"Sleep well, Pixie Princess," he said in a serene voice, lulling me to sleep almost instantly.

When I woke up at a more reasonable time, I realized I was curled around my phone, then laughed. I was so tired after that conversation. And the odd thing was, I couldn't remember the body of it. Just that Emmett had called at the most odd hour to hear me talking to him.

After dressing, I went downstairs to leave for school. Every day the entire following week after that was the same, for the most part. We enjoyed each other, just being together, holding hands, cuddling, couple stuff. Mike Newton avoided us and that made everything better, at the time. But there was a bitter aftertaste whenever Newton would run away with a nasty glance and smirk in Emmett's direction.

We went straight to the Swans' house Friday night from school. La Push was on hold until Leah was out of the hospital. It was for the better, though. They say girls who are around each other regularly develop the same hormonal patterns, and that was no excuse for Rosalie, Bella, and I. Friday night found us girls in Bella's bedroom, equipped with candy, soda, and popcorn. The guys were smart enough to leave us alone, which left Rose and Bella ample room to grill me about Emmett.

"So," Rosalie said slyly, smirking at me. "Is Emmett a good kisser?"

"Rose!" Bella screeched, throwing a pillow at her head. "My brother, really?"

"I was joking!" Rose laughed, hugging said pillow and resting her chin on the end of it. "But seriously, what happened when you guys went AWOL?"

"Well…" I said, biting my lip. "Well, we ran down the beach probably a quarter mile or so."

"That much we figured out," Bella said, giving me her 'cut the crap' look.

"Well, we laid in the sand for a little while, then I started crying when he tried to kiss me again-"

"What did he do?" Bella asked confusedly.

"It was me," I said. "I didn't think he liked me, then-" I decided to keep the phone thing a secret, "-then he reassured me and we kissed some more, then Edward busted his ear drums."

"How?" Rose laughed, nibbling on a Twizzler.

"I was holding his head with my phone in my hand when he called," I said, then realized the absurdity and joined Rosalie laughing, making Bella begin to laugh.

So there we were, three hormonal teenage girls, sprawled out on a little bed laughing at something totally weird and random. Finally, we all collapsed, still giggling a little. Rose and Bella were head to head, on the outside, and I was in a ball between them.

"So, what did it look like from your points of view?" I dared, honestly curious.

"Well," Bella said, mimicking my previous actions. "You two kinda went into a trance when the bottle was spinning. Like you could tell what was gonna happen."

"Yeah, and ya'll got really weird, like ya'll had no idea anyone was around. Then ya'll started talking really quietly, then he kissed your ear-"

"Which was totally weird!" Bella interjected. "Then he kissed you and you were like a statue, and we were all kind of laughing at Emmett inside."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because the guy was obviously _really_ into you, and you were not responding at all, and everyone could see he was doing all the work. Then you grabbed his hair and we thought you were trying to yank him away! We were totally shocked, because everyone's known forever that you two were head-over-heals for each other." Dang, Rosalie could recite a Homer epic in one breath if she tried…

"But then you started kissing back and we were pretty much all thinking 'Finally!' Then you left and we started talking," Bella supplied, waggling her eyebrows.

I made the universal 'I just found out something funny and unbelievable and now I must know all details' face and crawled up the bed to lay on my stomach between Rose and Bella. "Tell me. _Now_."

The started laughing and sharing the previous Friday night's conversation.

I woke up at about six, an odd time for me. I was never an early bird. I carefully sat up and climbed down out of the bed so as not to disturb Rose and Bella. The joys of being the smallest and always getting the middle…

I got downstairs and slid into my shoes and coat, left unceremoniously in a heap by the door with everyone else's junk. I went outside to the woods, to a little trail Charlie had cut many years back; slightly overgrown, but still a great escape.

I'd walked a little way in when I saw him. Emmett, sitting on a fallen log. He saw me too, and smiled, patting the space next to him.

I sat next to him and leaned on his arm, looking up into the canopy of foliage. "It's so beautiful out here…"

He wrapped his arms around me, looking down into my face. "I missed you last night. I was hoping I'd get to sleep with you in my arms."

I laughed. "Well, this is not my natural waking hour. I'll be sleeping more later. Maybe we can catch up."

He grinned, then gave me a hair-raising kiss. So sweet, so gentle, so… Loving. It nearly brought tears to my eyes. It felt so right, being in this moment. These woods. On this log with this amazing guy I was falling harder for every day…

I melted into his arms, sliding my hands up the front of his jacket to his neck, to hold him to me. I felt a need to be close to him, and he was holding me so wonderfully. It made what happened next almost worth it. Almost.

Emmett broke off the kiss, looking guilty. "Alice, I-I started the fight the other day."

I bit my lip and took deep breaths, suddenly overwhelmed. "Emmett, what happened? And don't you dare say nothing."

"Newton said something that pissed me off, I punched him in the face, we fought," he said, not meeting my eyes.

"What did he say?" I demanded, grabbing his face and turning it towards me.

"He said some crap about you, okay?" he said angrily, shaking his head free of my grip.

"Like what? Emmett, you've been totally weird since that fight and I don't like it! I want my teddy bear back to normal," I said softly.

He stood up and paced before me. "Newton said that… That it would be easier to…"

"Tell, me, damn it!"

He turned and glared at nothing in particular, then half-shouted, "I can't lose you, Alice!"

I recoiled in confusion. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

He gripped his head and kept his back to me. "Newton had said that if I wanted, he could help me get rid of you. Call the funny farm or happy house, or… Or we could have an 'accident' and no one would know the difference. Then he said, 'Like your friends Sam and Leah' and I threw the punch."

I looked at my feet sheepishly. "You're scared of me getting taken away from you?"

"Yes, and it's killing me," he said, finally looking at me. "I don't want to be sitting next to your hospital bed crying because of a stupid mistake I made."

I took a deep breath and walked to him. "Emmett, you can't be scared."

"Alice, I've never had feelings like this for anyone," he said softly, wrapping his arms around me. Finally.

"Good, because she'd have had to take some things up with me," I said, standing on tiptoe to bring him down for a kiss.

**A/N: I have officially finished _writing_ this story, but there are a few more chapters to be posted, then a sequel, so stay tuned!**

**~Sidney**


	16. Halloween

**Yayayayayay! New chappie! BTW, _Eclipse_ is better than _Twilight _and _New Moon. _Tons. Oh, and Sidney doesn't own!**

Saturday afternoon called for insane October storms. Vicky picked us up from the Swans' house after lunch and we went to the Hales' house. Ten minutes after we got to the modest one story, the local news channel reported tornado watches all around. Everyone split up to do their own thing. Emmett and I sat in the kitchen with Vicky, who was teaching me hand-stitching techniques after I shared with her my desire to create Halloween costumes. I came prepared with Emmett's shirt, a mini-sewing kit my mother had picked up for me in excitement at my desire to take up a hobby, and various fabrics.

Emmett was obeying as we repeatedly made him put on and remove the shirt I was mutating. Okay, so maybe a few of those times were to get a glimpse of his beautifully sculpted muscles. He squirmed as I traced a heart onto the front of it, probably tickling his incredible abs that were distracting me so. Finally, he was able to sit still, back in his original shirt, toying with the sparkly dark red fabric. He watched mindlessly as I cross-stitched the heart into the outline. Vicky got up to get some glitter fabric paint for the 'Hug Me' I was planning to put on the heart, then Emmett picked up the fabric he was playing with.

"What's this for?" he asked, shaking it, making the kitchen light bounce off of the glitter.

"My costume," I said, smiling, holding up the sketch of my outfit.

"I like red on you," he said, reaching out and draping the cloth over my head.

I giggled, shaking it off and wrapping it around my shoulders flirtatiously. "I know, that's why I got it."

"You know what that reminds me of?" he said, leaning over the table.

I leaned closer to him, grinning. "What?"

He kissed me lightly. "What you were wearing the night we got together."

Vicky chose that moment to walk back in, making us jump apart. "You two are going to get to be as bad as the rest of them," she laughed.

Sunday afternoon, after sleeping till noon on the Hale's pull-out couch with Rose and Bella again, was spent working on my dress; Emmett's shirt was correctly mutated, and he and Vicky were helping me with my dress. Well… He was watching and saying boyfriend-y stuff while Vicky and I pinned and sewed.

At one point, I simply put the extra scraps around my neck and asked Emmett how it looked so far. His response? "Great, honey…" And he went back to cutting up a paper napkin he'd picked up nearly and hour before.

"I knew it, you're not paying any attention to me," I said, glaring at him and going back to work silently. I couldn't believe he'd tested negative for ADD all those years ago...

After it started to get dark outside, I finally finished. Vicky helped me into it in Rosalie's room with Rose and Bella watching excitedly, then I modeled it for the guys and Jamie.

With the help of Vicky, I had fashioned a kind of bubble dress. It had a baby-doll type top, with fluffed out sleeves and a square neckline. The waist had a square bow and then fluffed out, the skirt falling to my knees. We had then used some old coat hangers, white felt, and red glitter paint to make a pair of wings. It looked awesome, paired with my favorite silver flats and a toy tiara I'd had as a stocking stuffer a year or so before.

Jasper and Jamie applauded my craftsmanship like good gentlemen, my brother observed my new-found talent approvingly, and Emmett… Well, Emmett had put on his costume as well, and looked _amazing_. The shirt hugged him just right, and he seemed to have eyes only for me. I went to the scraps of glitter cloth leftover and picked up a long strip I'd trimmed just right, then I tied it around Emmett's neck just so. I grinned at my work.

"Well, this is great!" Vicky said. "Alice you have such a talent!"

I grinned. "Thanks, you helped so much."

When everyone was in proper day wear, we had about two hours left to our own disposal. Six teenagers about to be separated for the night? Use your imagination…

School was better. No freak fights, Newton avoided us, and Emmett and I got Wednesday afternoon to ourselves in the Port Angeles mall while the others looked for costumes like procrastinators. We sat in the food court, sharing french fries and a chocolate milkshake. We kept taking pictures of each other doing random things.

"So you ready for operation GCFACION?" he said, dipping a fry into the shake.

"One-gross! And two-what the heck?" I said, using a plastic spoon to fish out the now salty part of the drink and waving it in his face.

He caught the end of the spoon in his mouth, then played tug of way for a minute, trying to annoy me, I think. "'Get candy from all creatures innocent or not' duh!"

"Oh, because that's a well known figure of speech," I said, snapping a picture of him hanging the spoon off his nose.

"I spent all of last night memorizing that," he said, brandishing the spoon at me. He scooped out a bit of the shake and waving it in front of me now. "Give me some credit."

I snapped at the spoon, but he kept pulling out of reach. "Okay, okay, it's clever, now give me chocolate."

He put the spoon in my mouth and I mimicked his antics, fighting for it. Until he took a picture.

"Em!" I whined, letting the spoon go.

"Al!" he mocked, showing me the picture. Okay, I'll admit, it was cute, if I do say so myself. "Back to my question, are you ready for maximum sugar-age?"

I laughed. "Oh, yeah. So ready." I looked at my phone scrolling through to delete some pictures so I could take more. When I looked up, Emmett had two fries up his nose. Guess what my new cell wallpaper is.

Friday night was the official Forks Halloween carnival. Emmett and I, as per tradition, went around to every booth. Twice. While Rosalie and Edward, dressed as a banana and Zorro (don't ask) joined the hay ride junkies, and while Bella and Jasper(Bonnie and Clyde-too cute!) played games, Emmett and I got as much candy as we possibly could. We filled our plastic bags, then ate as we went along. By the time we went on the last hay ride of the night, we were on a delightful sugar rush.

The itchy hay was highly annoying to my bare legs, and I was beginning to freeze in the night air. Emmett noticed this and pulled me into his lap, holding me off the hay and warming me up nicely. About halfway through, I began to fall into my 'hyper hangover,' getting sleepy from coming down from my sugar high. I nestled my head into his neck, inhaling his beautiful scent, as he piggy backed me back to the booth our parents were running(_safety _themed, go figure).

The dads were cleaning up the trash, getting ready to take the booth apart, while the moms were passing out candy to stragglers. The rest of the crew were just helping where needed.

"Boys, could you get the tool box and the twine from the cruiser?" Charlie asked, jerking his head toward his parking spot across the road.

Emmett put me down on banana-Rose's lap(she wasn't all that pleased by the sudden weight on her knees, but didn't shove me off like Bella would've), then jogged along with the other guys across the road. I watched sleepily as Emmett and Edward carried the large tool box between them, Jasper following with a large ring of twine swung over his arm.

There was a _screeeeeeech_ of tires spinning on wet asphalt…

**A/N: Please, no killing me. The next chapter will be up... IDK. I'm not on my laptop, where everything is in the files, and my wireless router is being mean to me. So... Yeah, probably no earlier than next Monday, sorry peoples. I feel terrible for these excuses I keep giving, but my life is kind of annoying. Teen-hood= not fun!**

**~Sidney**


	17. Crashing Down

**Summer's boring, but at least I can update faster! Also, I've been getting really discouraged because no one is reviewing hardly. Please, please, please take the ten seconds it takes to write 'you suck' or 'you rule' so I can properly work on my story. I don't own this, and I owe much thanks to my beta and awesome FFN buddy, LMD. Read now.**

Words cannot describe the feeling of being terrified out of your skin. The car came out of absolutely no where, and spun madly in the middle of the road. Emmett, _my Emmett_, jumped into action, shoving Edward and Jasper out of the way. Jasper staggered back towards the cruiser, Edward fell and crashed headfirst into the curb, getting knocked out, the tool box landing on his thigh.

Emmett, though… The car slammed into him, the front left side, barely avoiding hitting him with the front corner.

Several things happened at once. The car's horn went off from the driver slumped over the wheel, Jasper yelled out for someone to call 911, Emmett let out a strangled cry, and I screamed a blood curdling scream. Emmett fell to the ground unconscious, blood pooling around him eerily from his head and other parts of his body. He lay mangled, looking so breakable, so _broken_, that I-after running as far as the curb to observe the crash site-ran back and nearly collapsed from shock.

Charlie was immediately on the phone, calling for an ambulance. Daddy and Jamie were rushing to Emmett while Mom was rushing to Edward. Rosalie quickly ran to help my mother while Bella tried to hold me back from the action. She had tears running down her face, and I couldn't feel any part of my body. She wasn't a very touchy-feely person, but she wrapped her arms around me and we held onto each other. Rosalie and Mom were able to bring Edward to, and Jasper found his way to me and Bella, holding onto us while talking to the EMT people who arrived. He had to let us go to get checked since he was in the line of fire. Edward and Emmett were taken away on stretchers with Daddy and Charlie.

Everything was happening so fast now, instead of in slow motion like the crash had been.

But then it was over. Jamie and Vicky were comforting Renee and my mother. Rosalie joined mine and Bella's group hug, and Jasper was trying to figure out how to comfort us all. Mom finally decided that we needed to get to the hospital, and we piled into Vicky's van. I was so out of it for the longest time. The event of the evening refused to be absorbed in my mind, though it may have been for the better. I surely would have collapsed if it all registered at once.

It was midnight by the time they let us see Edward. Mom got to see him first, of course, Daddy having already seen him and now being in emergency surgery with Emmett and Dr. Gerandy. I went in next, seeing he had a broken leg and a nice headband of gauze. I gave him a numb hug, feeling guilty for being more worried about my boyfriend than my own twin brother.

"Hey, Al," he said, rubbing my back a little. "It's okay, I know he's worse off than me."

"I'm sorry, brother," I said, my voice muffled in his chest.

"It's okay, sister," he said softly, kissing my hair. "He'll be okay."

"I wish I could believe you," I said, laughing bitterly. "I'm gonna go and let Rose in before she goes crazy."

"Okay," he said, giving me a little smile.

I decided to walk around the hospital, trying to get my mind off everything. I went to the maternity ward and peeked in on the little babies in the dim room. They were so tiny, so delicate looking. In a way, Emmett had looked like a baby laying on that road. In the back of my mind I wondered if they'd removed his teddy bear costume, or if he was still a life sized version of the little stuffed things in the window of the room. _No, no worrying, no thinking of him in less than perfect condition! _the more rational voice in my head said.

I walked a little further, going up a floor and running into none other than Sam Uley.

"Hey Alice," he said, looking a little surprised.

"Hey Sam," I said, looking around. "Leah's up here?"

"Yeah, you want to see her?" he asked. "She's starting to respond more and more."

"Sure," I said, offering him a little grin.

I went into the little room and saw her, sleeping. She looked breakable, too… Little Seth was sitting in the corner reading. He looked up at me and smiled. "Hey, Alice! My parents are at home, we decided to give them a rest. Wow, you look really pretty!"

I smiled at the energetic kid, then looked to Sam. The look on his face was the opposite of energetic. He looked weak, sad, like he didn't know what to do.

He looked how I felt.

The voice reminding me not to be a masochist again, I said a quick good bye and rushed downstairs to Jasper, the only person I could think of to help me figure things out right then.

He was waiting in the hall by the waiting room, as if anticipating my arrival. "Hey, Al."

"Jazz, why do I feel like this is my fault?" I asked, my voice breaking on 'fault'.

He pulled me into a brotherly hug. "It's not your fault. It's like survivor's guilt; you weren't hurt, so you feel responsible."

I shook my head viciously, not wanting to believe him. "Somehow it's mine. Somehow… I don't know, we had a 'fight' about him being worried about losing me, and now…"

"Alice, Alice, don't cry…" he said. Was I crying now?

"B-b-but he… And I… And-and-it's not fair!" I sobbed, yanking away from him and pressing my body into the dark window. At least I was showing normal signs of emotion…

"Alice, come with us," Bella's voice came softly, and her slender hand slipped into mine, tugging me along with her and Rosalie. Jasper followed, taking Bella's other hand. They took me to Vicky's van, where Jamie and Vicky were ready to go to their house, one in the morning seeming an, erm, _appropriate _time.

Us girls helped each other out of our costumes, and we got a really good look at how we looked. We all had trails of make-up on our faces; Rosalie had neon yellow streaks, Bella had grey and black, and my face was covered in glitter. We started giggling uncontrollably, helping each other wipe the make-up off. It was freeing, to forget how to cry for just a few moments. We crashed on the pull out couch again, making Jasper sleep in the recliner in case someone woke up and needed a hug (no judging, we were all emotionally worn). Life was fairly twisted, but in that moment, it felt good to just be close to people I loved.

****

A/n: I decided to cut it off here, or I'd never get off my soap-box. Review, please. And no throwing rocks!

~Sidney


	18. Feelings Frenzy

**Second update of the day! I wonder if I'll get the rest out today... The next chapter is the last, then there is an epilogue. Then a new story... Yay, reviews! And I don't own. :)**

When morning came (okay, actually noon), no progress was made. We took turns showering, then attempted to eat something. Attempted. Jamie, the best cook in the _world_ made homemade chocolate chip pancakes, blueberry waffles, ham and cheese omelets, anything to make us eat. Most of the food ended up in the refrigerator. All of us, however, accepted travel mugs of coffee, unsure of how long we would go without refueling once we left for the hospital.

When we arrived, Bella and Jasper left to find Charlie and Renee, and Rosalie and I went to check up on Edward. Mom was waiting outside of his room, and we could hear Daddy inside talking.

"They think they may have to operate on his leg, the fractures were so close together," Mom said, looking distraught. Vicky gave her a huge hug and led her away from the door, to an area to sit.

Rose and I waited in tense silence, trying to decipher English from the medical talk from inside the room. Finally Daddy came out of the room, looking like he'd aged ten years overnight. I gave him a huge hug, not saying anything.

"Hello, sweetheart," he said, holding me and kissing my head. "Did you sleep well?"

"No," I said, muffled by his coat. What was with me and suffocating myself on men's clothing?

"Your brother is fine, no surgery for him right now," he said. "Emmett is...stable. He's in the intensive care unit, he was rushed into emergency surgery, and he could go back at any moment. I think all we can do right now is pray and hope."

I nodded, tears threatening to spill back over. I couldn't even see him, ICU visitors could only be family. "Thanks, Daddy."

He lifted my face to look at him. "I'll make sure he gets through this, Alice. I love you. And someone wants to see you."

I let him lead me to the long term area. He took me into a familiar room, and there, sitting in the bed was Mr. Danny. Daddy left me to talk to the old man whom I hadn't seen in a while.

"Hello, little girl," he said, smiling and patting the space on his bed he always had me sit.

"Hi, Mr. Danny," I said weakly, sitting cross-legged beside him.

"I heard that a friend of yours isn't doing very well," he said. Then he cussed because he dropped a fig newton down the front of his gown…

"Yeah, he's… He's not doing very well at all," I said, chewing my lip to keep from crying.

"Damn things…" he muttered, dumping a few in his lap. "Did you know that when I first was put in this place, the doctors weren't counting on me living past six months?"

"But you've been here since I was ten," I said. "Nearly five years."

"Exactly," he said, patting my hand. "These doctors can only control so much. We have meaning to our lives and we have things to live for. That boy hasn't had his time. He's going to be okay, Alice."

I gave a watery smile, reaching out to hug the old man, whispering in his ear, "Thank you."

"I'll bet you're very close to him."

"Yes, we're best friends," I said, trying to hold back my tears.

"It's always hard to watch someone you care about struggle. You love each other, but you hate to see the other in pain, physical or emotional. And between you and me, I think you'll be playing a big part in his life." I gave him a quizzical look. "Okay, your daddy told me he was your little boyfriend."

The absurdity at my Emmett being called 'little' made me start to giggle uncontrollably. Mr. Danny smiled and patted my cheek. "There's my little girl."

After my short visit with Mr. Danny, I sat in Edward's room for a little while, until they had to change his wound dressings, then I went to the waiting room. Bella had visited Emmett and said only that he was asleep. I chose not to pry, but I kept thinking about what Mr. Danny had said. I started to think about the different things Emmett and I had gone through together...

__

Two little children played in a small shed outside-a small boy and smaller girl. The little girl was standing in an old claw-foot tub, reaching over the edge for the little boy, who was swinging a yard stick around.

"I'll save you, princess!" he said, hollering as he fought an imaginary dragon.

"Oh prince, please! Hurry!" she called, playing the perfect damsel in distress.

With a 'hiyah!' the little boy threw his sword down, then grabbed the little girl's hands and climbed into the tub.

"I knew you would save me, brother!" she cried, throwing her arms around his middle.

"I'll never let the dragon get you, sister!" the boy said, picking her up as best he could.

A knock came from the door-frame and a man and woman came into the shed, laughing. The man picked up the little girl, who squealed as he blew raspberries into her tummy where her little t-shirt was riding up. The woman picked up the little boy, who gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek and a little hug. The parents carried the little kids outside and walked into the house situated near the building.

"Mommy, Daddy! He saved me!" the little girl said, her brown eyes widening seriously, making her parents laugh.

"I had to save her!" he said, looking offended that his parents were laughing. "I couldn't let the dragon get her!"

The man grinned. "That's my little man, he knows how to treat a lady. You can always tell by the way he treats his mother and sister."

The woman smirked. "You torture your sister, does that mean I married badly?"

"No, it means I taught my sister how to be tough," he stated. "So Grampa wasn't lying when he said you two were back here all day?"

"No, they came in for food and that's about it. Had your mother worried they'd get sunburned," an older man said, reaching out to tickle the little girl's chin.

"In Forks?" the woman said, laughing.

"Don't ask me what goes through her mind," he said.

"Well, how was your day?" an older woman said, walking into the den from the kitchen.

"Great," the younger woman said. "We found a great little store. We'll be up and running as soon as the paperwork's done."

"I'm so proud of you, kids," the older man said, smiling lovingly at the young parents.

"Be proud of my girl, all I get to do is carry the heavy boxes. She does all the hard work," the younger man said, wrapping his free arm around his wife's neck and giving her a sweet kiss, earning a chorus of 'Ewww's from the children they were holding.

Wait… The children were siblings… The little girl had black curls and brown eyes, the little boy had dark spiky hair and green eyes… They were in the Swans' house…

"Al," someone called, faintly. "Alice."

I blinked as I came into reality. I hadn't realized I was asleep, and now Rosalie was waving a hand in my face.

"You awake finally?" she said, smirking.

"How long was I out?" I said groggily.

"Three hours. Are you hungry?" she asked, offering me a hand to pull me to my feet.

"Famished," I said.

We decided to skip out of the hospital for a little while, convincing Bella and Jasper to come too, and went across the street to a little burger joint. Let's face it: we all needed some plain greasy comfort food. Half an hour and four satisfied bellies later, we were back in the waiting room. I began to think about my dream.

What I didn't know was why I was having dreams about being married to Emmett. We'd barely been together for two weeks. It scared me that I could have feelings so deep for him, and even more-so that he was currently in no state to do anything, let alone be a father… I shuddered at the thought.

It was terrifying...yet beautiful at the same time. It was amazing how I'd felt in the dream, so in love and so happy and so blessed. But he was currently in such a bad state, I already felt sad, having woken up and realizing that it was all a dream in the first place. He was whole in the dream. Not broken and weak like the last time I'd seen him. It broke my heart to think of him so breakable, and I had to excuse myself again.

That night, Edward was able to come home. Daddy decided to come home for sleep _finally_, having only napped in the hospital, and Jamie and Charlie stayed at the hospital, giving the women a chance to get real sleep. When Renee had protested, saying Jamie shouldn't have to worry, that it wasn't his son or his responsibility, he said to her, "You would do the same for me. He's practically a second or third son anyway, so it's no more than hanging in there for family."

Even Charlie teared up at that one (okay, he turned his head and sniffed a little, excuse me for exaggerating his reaction to be more interesting). I'd never thought of it before, but our parents were friends. Maybe even as close as we were. It warmed my heart to see such selflessness.

Mom and Daddy insisted Renee and Vicky stay at our place since it was closer, up the road and back into the woods from the hospital. They each stayed in a guest room, in fresh sleep clothing that Mom had picked up for them on a quick run through town. Bella crawled into bed with Renee for a little while, the two comforting each other, then left once Renee was asleep. She, Jazz, Rose and I set up camp in Edward's room, where he was laid up on his bed, his leg propped on several pillows.

"Incoming," I said, jumping on my knees on the foot of his bed, crawling up to lay on my stomach next to him. "Hello, brother."

He smirked at me. "You missed me."

"No!" I said hotly, not appreciative of his accusation.

"Whatever," he said, shoving me off his small bed and making me land with a 'thud' on the floor. "You missed me."

I crawled to where we had set up some air mattresses. I chose a space farthest from the window, not liking the exposure, and laid down next to Bella. "Ha-ha, you get the middle this time."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, go to sleep."

Jasper turned out the light before laying down between Bella and Rose, who was closest to Edward's bed, holding his hand that was hanging over the side.

Everyone else had someone close to their hearts _and _physically close to them in our tragedy. Except me... In a way, I felt lonely.

**A/N: Wow-ness, okay reviews. And what did you think of the dream sequence?**

**Sidney**


	19. Into Place

**Wow, last real chapter. I'm feeling sentimental. I don't own. Thanks Lucas McDrake.**

Sunday was much like Saturday; we went to the hospital again, and sent Charlie and Jamie back to our place to get some sleep. Edward was confined to his room, so he was alone for a little while, until Rosalie came back with the men (no one exactly trusted the two alone…). Jazz and I went to visit Leah while Bella went with Renee to see Emmett.

The "Hey guys!" we received upon arrival to her room nearly knocked me off my feet. No one was in the room except Leah, sitting up in bed.

"Lee?" Jasper said, hesitant to go in any further.

"Yep! Weird huh?" she said, smiling. "I apparently was really out of it for a while, but this morning I woke up and I felt fine. The doctors figured I must have been in a state of post-traumatic amnesia or something like that."

"That's…great that you're better," I said, smiling. "So Sam finally decided to leave?"

"When I woke up this morning, I saw him asleep in the chair, so I threw a pillow at him and made him go home," she said proudly.

I laughed. "Yeah, someone's feeling better."

"So how's your brother? And how're things with Emmett? You get amnesia then suddenly you're far behind everyone else," she said, starting to ramble like Seth tended to. Maybe that was a family trait…

"Edward has a broken leg," I said, staring at a spot on the wall above her head. No more crying, no more crying, no more crying…

"What? How?" she asked.

"We were in a little accident Friday," Jasper said, placing a hand on the small of my back. "Ed got his leg crushed and Em got a little banged up."

A little banged up. Insert bitter laughter here. If he was 'a little banged up', my heart wouldn't feel like it was ripped out of my chest, run over with an eighteen wheeler, sewn back together by a blind monkey, frozen and thawed fifty million times, then put back in like nothing happened. Yeah, I'd thought about this. A lot.

Leah gave me a little smile. "Tell him I hope he feels better. I can attest to the fact that getting banged up makes you feel pretty awful."

"I'll do that," I said, keeping my eyes trained up. "I gotta go."

"Aw, okay, well I hope the guys get better," she said, smiling wider. Geez, that girl was way better.

I went down the hall off the waiting room, Jasper following closely. He sat down next to me when I collapsed against the wall, sinking to the floor. And when I started crying again, he wrapped his arms around me, letting me rest my head on his shoulder, murmuring little nothings to me, just being there.

"J-Jazz?" I asked after a while, hiccuping.

"Yeah?" he said, lacing his fingers together, holding me in a vice grip.

"Why can't anything be easy?" I said numbly in a near-monotone voice. Then I hiccuped again.

"I have no idea. I guess it's just a teenage thing. Nothing ever seems to work out between ages 13 and 19."

I hiccuped again, then giggled. I was sitting in a hall in the hospital, being consoled because my best friend/boyfriend was currently seriously injured, and I had the hiccups. Things were pretty funny when you were running on no real sleep.

"Alice?" Jasper asked, pulling away a little. "You okay?"

I laughed more, then hiccuped louder. "Nope!"

"Alice, seriously, is something wrong?" he asked, taking my shoulders.

I laughed harder. "We're in the hospital." Hiccup. "My boyfriend could possibly be dying." Hiccup. "And now I can't stop hiccuping!"

He stood and pulled me to my feet. "Okay, we're getting you real food, then you're going to go and sleep in your own bed."

I giggled and hiccuped as he pulled me along. We got to the waiting room and he asked Mom if we could get a ride home. She said she was glad to, then soon we were at my house. Jasper and I made lunch for everyone, then after I took a quick shower (two days unwashed, kinda nasty feeling), I was being pushed into my room. Jasper even tucked me in.

"Now sleep, I won't wake you up unless there's something big," he said.

"Okay, Jazz," I said, smiling, nestling into my sheets, comfortable for the first time since Emmett put me down on Rosalie's lap.

I fell into a deep sleep, no dreams, just good rest for once.

"Alice…" a far off voice called. "Alice."

I moaned in my sleep, turning my head away from the noise.

"Mary Alice?"

I immediately came to, eyes flying open. "This better be good," I growled up at Rosalie.

"Alice, Emmett got moved to a standard room! He's awake! C'mon, Jasper's helpin' Edward into real clothes and he has some crutches your daddy brought when he came to tell us!" she said, grabbing my shoulders.

I was out of bed before she could completely let go of me. Clothes, clothes, clothes… I had to find clothes! I ran to my closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, then changed in the middle of my room, not caring that Rosalie was still standing there, rushing me. I slid into a pair of rain boots then was dragging Rosalie with me.

We were soon on the way to the hospital. I was in the cruiser with Charlie and Daddy, that being the quickest way there. It was the only time I'd ever known Charlie to speed. Jasper and Rose had stayed behind to help Edward into Vicky's van, which she'd taken Daddy home in to share the news.

The Swans were, of course, the first allowed to see him. I was left pacing in the waiting room, worrying my mother. I finally sat down, only for Bella to walk in, cheeks wet, smiling.

"He's asking for you," she said.

Suddenly, I felt like my legs were made of lead. "Really?"

"Well, he was actually demanding to know where you were and how you were, so I came for you."

I lifted myself up, then took the hand Bella offered to me. After passing Renee and Charlie in deep conversation with Daddy, she lead me to a small room, and laying on the bed was my Teddy Bear, smiling the second he saw me. He held a hand up, waving me over.

"You're okay," he said when I'd come to stand over him.

I let out a small chuckle. "I could say the same! You scared me so much!"

He reached for a hand, and I laced my fingers through his, smiling as tears began to fall down my face. "Alice, sweetheart…" He pulled me down as best he could. "I didn't mean to scare you."

I tried to stop the tears. I had to be strong for this broken boy. I pulled up a small plastic chair and observed him. He had wrappings on his arms, his neck leading into his gown, around his head, and that's just what was visible to me. I lifted a hand to push around some of his curls, revealing that some towards the back of his head had been shaved off.

He saw my face fall and laughed. "They had to stitch the cut where I hit the ground. It'll come back."

I started sobbing then, and I heard the able-bodied Swan twin take leave whilst Emmett pulled me to rest my forehead on his. I then realized he must have broken some ribs or his collar bone, since he couldn't hold me like he seemed to want to, and sobbed harder, moving and pressing my face into the pillow under his head. He kissed my ear and gingerly stroked the skin of my neck and my spine.

"I'm s-sorry," I said, lifting my head and looking at him. "I was so worried."

"I hate that I made you cry," he said, stroking my cheek. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "No…"

He gave me a small smile. "I've been in ICU for two days and that's the best you can do?"

I laughed and leaned down to kiss his lips, my lips moving unyieldingly against his for a moment, savoring the fact that I was once again connected to him in some way. "Better?"

He grinned my favorite grin. "Much. Now we have two days to make up for, Pixie Princess."

"Not until you tell me everything that happened. What all's injured?" I pressed, taking one of his hands in mine.

"Well, I had a gnarly cut on the back of my head," he said, nodding his head a little. "They had to cut away some of the hair to stitch it up. Then I had three broken ribs and my collar bone, too, but that's not so bad-"

"Emmett, when I last saw you, you were in a pool of your own blood and twisted unnaturally, it is 'so bad'," I argued.

"But I meant it's not as bad since there was no internal bleeding," he said gently but firmly. "That would have been really bad, but since it was just the side of the car it was not 'so bad'."

I shook my head. "You were so scared of losing me, then I nearly lose you, and you're acting like it's no big deal."

He laughed. "Hey, I didn't think of that! Maybe this is our 'bad luck' thing. How every couple has something unlucky happen, maybe this was it. It's better than some of the things that could happen."

I shook my head, appalled that he was taking this so lightly.

"You know, your head might fall off if you keep that up, Al," he said, smirking.

"You lunatic!" I said, laughing. "You're a raving lunatic! I think when that thing hit you it took out a few of your brain cells!"

He gave me the most heart-stopping smile.

"What?" I asked, pulling the hand I had to my cheek. He smiled wider. "What?"

"I love when you laugh," he said, cupping my cheek with his free hand. "It makes me feel less guilty."

I rolled my eyes. "Yet you have nothing to be guilty over." I let go of his hand. "Now what were you saying about making up for lost time?"

He wrapped his newly freed hand around the back of my neck and pulled me down.

I smiled. "We missed our two week anniversary."

"Then we really need to make up," he said, not wasting another second before fusing his mouth to mine.

We heard a shudder sound and a giggle and looked up. Rosalie was holding her cell phone, smirking. "You'll thank me one day. Now stop hogging, you'll have plenty of time for that after the rest of us get to see the patient."

I glared at her, then gave Emmett one last kiss as Rose, Jazz, and my brother invaded. I had never felt so light with relief.

**A/N: Review please, epilogue next!**


	20. Epilogue

****

Wow, I seriously feel like crying from sentimental value of this. My baby is all grown up! The sequal, _Those Three Words_ will be gracing your screen soon, but for now, with no ownership of Twilight Saga and affiliates, I give you the final chapter.

Epilogue

Over the next week, school was incredibly boring. Emmett was staying in the hospital for a few more days to make sure his bones were healing right and that his head injury wasn't causing any delayed problems. The freshman class made a huge 'Get Well' card for him, and everyone signed it and wrote little notes to him in it. When Bella and I brought it to him Tuesday afternoon, he and I had a laugh over the ridiculous things the preps wrote. I swore if I saw one more 'I love you, bestie!' I'd drag each of the bottle blondes that wrote it down the elevator shaft. Wednesday he was discharged, and he was able to come to school Friday. We all helped him carry his things from class to class, and we were even able to go to La Push that night.

The circle was complete for the first time in nearly a month. Leah and Emmett were both incredibly bright. Emmett led the game that night, and we were all wild with crazy-ness withdrawal.

"Okay, who wants to start?" he asked the group.

Little Seth jumped at the chance. His spin landed on Kim, who cocked an eyebrow.

"Um… Uh…" he looked nervous. "Um…"

Kim leaned over and whispered something in Jarrod's ear, who nodded, then Leah's ear.

"Go for it!" Leah said, then started chanting, "Kiss her, kiss her!"

Embry, Emmett, Paul, and Jacob joined. Of course Emmett encouraged insanity…

Finally, Seth plucked up his twelve year old pride and hesitantly moved toward Kim. She gave him a grin, then he _finally_ just kissed her already. He turned as red as red can get when everybody started _aww_ing, then scrambled back to his seat, smiling to himself. I wondered why Kim was so un-shy about it, then I realized that it was probably the kid's first kiss, and she knew that perfectly well.

Kim spun and landed on Sam, who made her admit who her first kiss was (some kid at daycare when she was four). Sam got Emmett, who beamed with excitement.

"I'll regret this, but dare," he said submissively.

"I dare you to go and get wet in the ocean, then roll around in the sand and stay that way until someone picks truth," Emmett said, smiling. Wow, was my guy a weird one.

"Okay," Sam said, rolling his eyes. He ran down to the water, then came back covered from head to foot in sand. Leah refused to touch him and everyone was glancing around at each other, making a silent deal. He didn't realize the hell he'd have to pay…

Emmett spun and landed on Paul, who grinned maliciously. He seemed to think he could top an Emmett dare… "I dare you to sing a song to Alice."

Okay, that was pretty close in absurdity… I know I turned bloody red. I was anxious to see what he would sing, but more so how bad he would butcher it(Bo Bice, he was not).

He cleared his throat, then started belting out 'Smile'. It wasn't as dreadful as I thought… It was actually really sweet. Except he cannot hit high notes. At all. Ever.

We all applauded him, laughing our butts off. Well, I was still bloody red and I just smiled at him. Paul smiled and spun, landing on Bella.

"Dare," he said. No one had _ever_ asked Bella for a dare…

"Go hide somewhere and put your underwear on your head, then wear it there for the rest of the night," Bella said, making Paul turn a funny shade of pink. The rest of us were appalled that she actually could dare a decent dare. "And put sand down your pants."

Okay, that made everyone laugh pretty hard. Especially when Paul came back from the woods with white briefs on his head and walking with a limp. Bella's spin landed on me. I ended up daring her to bury herself in sand, which she did. Okay, I'm a lame darer, but Sam was getting jumpy and it was funny.

My spin, though. My spin landed on Emmett.

"Oh, how the bottle has turned!" Jacob said. Okay, cheesy much?

Emmett smirked. "So?"

I rolled my eyes before sitting on my knees and throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him hard, plain, and simple. Earning a few catcalls, I might add… But it was a comfort. It was a comfort that I was back in this place with these people, and the most comforting of all was the fact that I had my happily ever November. The future might be unclear, but I'd already experienced a lot, and I could handle it.

But hey, you have to when you're the girl formerly known as the single one.


End file.
